The Way Forward
by atsuibelulah
Summary: With the horrors of the Underground behind them, Sarah and Jareth, now mortal and ignortant of his past, find themselves separated in the Aboveground. How long and how much will it take for them to find each other again? The Way Back: Epilogue COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**The Way Forward**

Chapter 1

She was lying on grass, cold and extremely wet. She looked up and saw...a tower. Had she just fallen to the bottom? But no, if she'd fallen from the Castle's Tower, she would be dead and she would not have woken up lying in the grass. Jareth had...thrown something at her. She remembered thick clouds and fast winds...she looked up at the tower again. It was...familiar. Her head hurt, her whole body was tired. Had she been here before? Suddenly the wind whistled low and long and it came back to her.

Sarah sat up quickly at sucked in a breath, clutching her pounding head, "_No_...no, no, no, no, no..." She looked up at the tower once more and tried to stop her body's shaking from fatigue and the bitter cold. She was back...on the Tor, at Glastonbury, in the Aboveground.

"Jareth, you unbelievable bastard," she muttered before passing out once more.

* * *

Then Sarah dreamed. She dreamed that the hands of one of _her_ guards were reaching for her, trying to get her out of the cell, or on the floor, or against the wall. There were three more behind him and they leered at her. She shied away and cried out, and somehow this kept them away. But then the dreamed changed and the monstrous guards became tall, lean men in starkly white robes, but with shadowed faces that somehow seemed more frightening than anything she had ever seen. They seized her and tried to put her in another cell, a darker place. She struggled desperately but her arm fell hard against something and pain lanced through it. Then somehow, the ground seemed to open up under her feet and she was held, suspended in the air by the force of the while robed men. Sarah violently shook herself free and dove into the abyss beneath her, welcoming the blackness, the absence of fear and pain.

* * *

"Sarah..." She frowned at the familiar voice she could not place. She stirred under the heavy blankets, but as she moved her right arm she felt something protruding from it...a plastic tube. Her left arm felt too heavy.

"Oh, _God_," she moaned...a _hospital_. It was starting.

"Sarah...Sarah, darling, it's Daddy, sweetheart. I'm here." She placed the familiar voice and fervently wished that she hadn't. This was going to happen too fast for her liking.

Sarah blinked open her eyes and stared at the considerably aged face of her father, "Dad, what are you doing here? What...?" She broke off the second question quickly. Her voice was dry and crackling and she realized she would get the answers anyway.

He grasped her left hand tightly. Sarah noted the arm was in a cast and vaguely wondered when that had happened. Her father's voice was also strange, as though he was trying not to cry. She tried not to notice it as he answered her, "I took the first flight out. They've had to keep you sedated for a little while, honey. They said that when they found you, you wouldn't let anyone touch you. They said that you...weren't in your right mind, that you screamed something about a queen and your mother at them and struggled all the way into the ambulance. You sprained your wrist. They said..." it was his turn to cease abruptly.

It was quite a dramatic way to venture back into modern society. She tried to remember the episode, but her mind was still filled with the frightening dream she'd had. Sarah sat back, looking away stiffly as her father fought to keep his control. This all must have been very difficult for him. "How long has it been?" Her voice sounded hollow now, but still dry. He hadn't offered her anything to drink yet.

He clasped her hand tighter, as if she would disappear again if he didn't. She felt a stab of guilt at being so petty. But then wondered why _she_ should feel guilty. He finally answered the question, "It's been about a year since you went missing."

Sarah closed her eyes. A year...she'd only been with Jareth for four days. A year in the clutches of _her_, she hadn't even had the time to see her friends again...Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus. It was _her_ fault. They'd been taken from her twice now and she knew she would never go back. A tear rolled down her cheek, now she would never see them, and she still had to find _him_.

Her father was still speaking, and Sarah quickly wiped the tear away before he could notice, "Karen and I have been frantic. We came here at least two or three times and no one could tell us anything. Your mother was convinced it was some sort of kidnapping to do with ransom or some such nonsense, but no one ever received a letter." Sarah snorted and her father gave her a tired look. Her mother wasn't nearly famous enough or rich enough for that to have been the case.

"Sarah, honey," he paused, and she stared at him. She couldn't believe he was going to ask her so soon. He looked at her in an uncomfortably earnest manner, but still did not notice her obvious reluctance to talk. "What happened to you? Where have you been?"

Sarah pried her bandaged hand from his grasp and looked at the window. The blinds were down. She couldn't see out of it, but she would not look her father in the face as she lied to him, "I...don't...re—"

Just then a petite looking young woman stepped uncertainly into the room, a shocked and concerned look on her face as she saw Sarah in the bed. She recovered quickly and the door closed firmly behind her. Sarah felt a twinge of familiarity as she stared at the newcomer. She was one of those women who could be described as perfectly small. She could not have been more than a few inches over five feet, but her body was beautifully proportioned, complete with slim but generous curves in all the right places. A youthful face and reddish-brown hair cut in a pixie style in addition to her small stature made her seem even more child-like. But the wit and wisdom in her deep brown eyes made one think twice about her age.

Her father broke the extended silence, "Ms. Daniels, I believe the instructions for visitors were 'family only'"

And Sarah realized, feeling immeasurably awful for having forgotten her roommate, her best friend, "Oh, _Ruby_!" This time she couldn't stop the tears and Ruby swiftly crossed the room to envelop Sarah in an embrace of pure solace, with no need for questions or answers.

After a few minutes of heavy sobbing, Ruby leaned back a little and brushed the damp hair from Sarah's tear-stained face. Her voice was softly coaxing, "Hey, Sarah-doll, feel a little better now, do we?" Sarah frowned at the nickname, and then remembered that Ruby had called her that ever since she'd forced the poor Brit into watching Guys and Dolls with her a few weeks after they'd met. She'd never become friends with anyone as fast as she had with Ruby.

Sarah nodded slightly and smiled through her tears, though she wished she could just turn off the water-works altogether. She felt so...childish, and God knew she'd cried enough all over Jareth in the past few days.

Her father coughed loudly from where he'd been sitting the entire time. A vastly annoyed look passed over Ruby's features and Sarah put a hand on her arm. During the time they had lived together, Sarah's roommate had been extremely vocal on the topic of Sarah's parents. And while one could say that Sarah had made a great leap away from selfishness and toward maturity after her experiences in the Labyrinth the first time, said person could not repeat that same statement about Sarah's parents.

It had been quite a letdown when Sarah realized that even though _she_ grew up, her father and step-mother were already grown and would not easily see their own faults. Soon she had stopped trying to get them to lighten up on her babysitting, not that she really minded anymore. But soon after that they had stopped pretending she would be allowed to go out if they wanted to also.

"Sarah, I talked to your doctor shortly before you came around." Her father looked at her in a strangely business like manner; Sarah thought maybe Ruby's silent comfort had shamed him slightly. But if that was the case, he didn't really bear it well, "You are scheduled to be released tomorrow or whenever you're ready, as long as you see a doctor regularly about strengthening your diet. I booked us a flight for the day after tomorrow."

Ruby tensed as Sarah tried to wrap her mind around going...home, "You _what_? Why would you do that?" She really had trouble comprehending the idea. Her father's house hadn't really been home since they'd fought about her choice in career. Sometimes she didn't even visit for the holidays, when Toby would come to visit her.

He continued as if there was no problem, "Well, of course you will be coming home. Sarah, honey, you've just been through a very traumatizing experience—

"You don't _know_ what I've been through."

He ignored her hissed interjection and forged on, as if he was speaking to her at the age of five instead of twenty-five, "And I can only assume that you'll want to be home for your recovery."

"Well, then you'd be wrong."

He looked at her like those men must have looked at her, like she was crazy, "Sarah—

She crossed her tube and cast laden arms and sat up straighter as she interrupted him again, "I'm staying here. I'm not going to be doing anything to 'recover' at home that I couldn't do just as well here. Besides, I don't want to lose my scholarships." Sarah put an blatant emphasis on the 'S'. He had refused to help her pay for grad school; she had been forced to work two jobs in her first year before she'd been granted enough scholarship money to put all of her time into her research.

"Sweetheart, I hardly think this is the time to be worrying about your _studies_. You should come home, where Karen and Toby and I can take care of you." He exuded a horrible amount of patronizing concern.

"Leave Toby out of your plans, Dad. You just want to make sure I don't go missing again and put you through all the _trouble_ of trying to find me." He stared at her as if she'd slapped him across the face. Sarah knew she'd just crossed a line, and the accusation was a little unreasonable, but she told herself she was justified. She couldn't believe he was springing all this on her not even twenty minutes after she'd woken up. Ruby put a hand on her shoulder as she continued as calmly as possible, trying to channel her mature and rational adult side, and not her angst-y, paranoid teenager side that had somehow surfaced in the past few minutes, "Well, don't worry. I think I'm fine for now. So I don't need you to take care of me. I am a twenty-five year old woman. And I...Am...Staying...Here."

He shook his head at her, so certain he knew what was right, "Sarah, you don't even know where you're going to live."

At that Ruby broke in from her position next to Sarah on the small bed, "Actually, one of the reasons I came by was to tell you, Sarah-doll, that surprisingly enough, your room at my place is still open. Ready and waiting for you to occupy it once more." She threw Sarah an only slightly triumphant smile.

Sarah's father made an impatient huffing noise and stood up from his chair. He spoke stiffly as he gathered up his coat, "Well, since I'm apparently _not needed_ here, I suppose I'll be going. No reason to wait another day. I've paid the bill for the damages..."

"_Damages_?"

He shot an uncomfortable glance at her, still fumbling with his coat, "While you were...not yourself...you caused...ahm...extensive damage to the inside of an ambulance. Equipment was...damaged beyond repair. I've taken care of it."

She reached out and caught his hand as he turned to leave and Ruby moved against the wall and out of the way as Sarah pulled him closer to her, speaking guiltily at his distant manner. She shouldn't have been so antagonistic, "You didn't have to do that."

He looked down at her and smiled for the first time since she'd woken and a little warmth returned to his voice, "My Sarah, always so independent. It's already done. And it wasn't a terrible amount. You don't need to worry, it's not that important."

Sarah tightened her hold on his hand. She didn't want him to leave yet, "It is to me. I'll pay you back."

"With what? It's hard to believe you received any paychecks this past year, sweetheart." His voice was soft, but she still winced. What _was_ she going to live on? He smiled again; this time a little more sadly. He moved his hand to her hair, "Just let me do this, Sarah. If you won't come home, just take some help from us, okay? I'll send you a check in a few days, just a little something till you get back on your feet."

Sarah nodded silently, but spoke again before her father could turn back towards the door, "Dad, it's not that I don't appreciate everything that you guys want to do for me. I...ah...I just _need_ to stay here." Sarah felt herself begin to babble, but couldn't really stop, the desire to express her reasoning became overwhelming. She was probably once more on the verge of hysterics, "I got myself in to this...I-I can do this...i-if I stay here then it will be okay...if I stay here _a-as long as it takes_..."

She stopped when her father pulled her into a tight hug, "Shhh, sweetheart, you do what you need to. I'm not mad, okay?"

She closed her eyes and hugged him back, "Okay, Daddy."

A few minutes later he had gone and Ruby had placed herself back on the bed next to Sarah. She told the increasingly fatigued patient amusing stories about the recent public and private escapades of some of their mutual friends and even some of the University intrigues. How the girl had found certain things out, Sarah would never know, nor would she ask, having realized long ago that that would spoil Ruby's mystique. Ruby knew almost everything worth knowing about everyone they knew...period.

But the thing that Sarah appreciated most was that she didn't ask questions. All Sarah had to do was listen and laugh when appropriate. She figured she was getting to be so tired that that was all she was good for at the moment anyway.

As Ruby was finishing up an anecdote about one of their fellow grad students and the head of the English department's dog, a man of rather large stature in a white coat knocked and then came immediately into the room. Both women turned and he grinned at them in an over-friendly way, "Evenin' ladies. I'm Dr. Redding. Around here they call me Big Red. I've been treating you for the last couple days, Ms. Williams."

All of Sarah's exhaustion instantly vanished and she felt her body tense as she groaned inwardly, soon her irrational fears would betray her...how embarrassing. She found her voice after a moment, "Er...hello." She saw Ruby's eyes flash at her hesitant tone.

He smiled again and moved to the end of her bed for her chart. He wrote a few things down and walked around the bed to the monitors on Sarah's left, right next to her. Sarah felt her anxiety rising with each second he was there, each step he took closer to her.

She seized Ruby's hand in a vice-like grip and her friend stifled a gasp. He looked up at the noise and an expression of confusion passed over his features. Sarah felt really bad; he was young and had probably never treated anyone like her before. Ruby spoke up after a moment, "Is there anything else you need to do, Doctor?"

He pulled out a needle, "We need to draw a little blood for a few more tests. I thought I'd save the nurse the trouble."

Sarah's free hand began shaking when he said the word 'blood'. She quickly buried it in her lap.

Ruby spoke again, looking pointedly at him then at the scars and bruises on Sarah's visible arm, "Why don't you let one of the nurses take care of it. I think it would save everyone a lot of...ah...trouble."

His eyes flicked to Sarah and he turned pale. She wondered how he hadn't thought about the psychological implications of her injuries and sighed heavily at the fact that she had been the one to corrupt this small still innocent part of him. He spoke slowly and quietly, backing away from her like she was a spooked animal, "Oh, er, um, yes. I...apologize. I'll...ah...get Maggie to come in a few minutes." He swiftly exited the room and shut the door behind him with a soft click.

Sarah heard Ruby murmur as she let go of her friend's hand, "Poor puppy, right out of Med school too, probably."

Sarah glared wearily at her friend, "Oh, shut up, I already feel bad enough about scaring him."

Ruby put her arms around Sarah, pulling an almost palpable sense of comfort about her. She spoke in a lightly joking, but subtly reassuring manner, "Sarah-doll, I don't think _scared_ is the right word. And it's not your fault the puppy was a newbie. Besides, he would have learned eventually and he should have known already."

They both sat silent for a few moments and finally Ruby spoke, "You know I won't push you, Sarah. But I'm also going to make sure that you know I'll listen if you want to tell me _anything_."

Sarah looked down, guilt-ridden once again. "_I can't_," her voice was barely above a whisper.

Ruby gently lifted Sarah's face and looked squarely at her, conviction in her eyes and expression, "You can, doll. You're just not ready yet."

Sarah didn't know how to respond. She couldn't tell Ruby that it wasn't a matter of being ready. She couldn't tell her that _no one_ would believe what she had been through...except for Jareth...if..._when_ she found him. The fact that Sarah was utterly alone in this slowly sank into her mind and stayed there.

They...her dad, Ruby...would want her to tell someone about it, they would tell her to go see a therapist, a trauma specialist or something. Sarah knew there was no way she could do that. She couldn't even begin to try to lie to a therapist. They could see through that kind of thing. And she probably wouldn't be able to lie convincingly to a _child_ about what had happened to her. There would be nothing to talk about. If she tried to talk about part of it, she wouldn't be able to separate her...torture from the other fantastic events that she had been through. Ultimately she would reveal something that she shouldn't have and they would have her committed or something. Then she would _never_ find Jareth.

Ruby put a hand to her cheek and spoke softly, "When _you're_ ready, doll. Don't worry about it until then, okay?"

There was silence again for a few moments. Sarah was forced to cover up a yawn and was feeling horribly rude, but extremely tired as another knock came at the door and an elderly woman stepped into the room.

Her voice held the comforting warmth of a grandmother or favorite aunt and Sarah assumed this was Maggie. She spoke regretfully to Ruby first, "I'm terribly sorry, dear, but visiting hours are over now. But we can have you back as early as you like tomorrow."

Ruby smiled warmly and thanked her before turning to Sarah and thrusting a small piece of paper at her, "I'm at this number in an inn in the town. Call it if you need _anything_."

Sarah looked at the number dubiously, "Honestly, Ruby, what would I need that couldn't wait till tomorrow?"

The tone of Ruby's voice left no alternative, "_Anything_. All right?"

"Yes. All right." Sarah put the paper next to the phone.

"I'll see you tomorrow." And after a quick hug she left the room.

Maggie moved about the room for a few minutes, checking over the things the puppy had done earlier. Then she took a surprisingly small amount of Sarah's blood, keeping her touch light and gentle. She patted Sarah's hand before leaving, "You've got a good friend there, dear. And your dad's not too bad either, eh? I didn't know you could get here from the states as fast as he did. And I don't even know how the young lady found out you was here, but she did. Must have dropped everything too, today's a Thursday. Whatever she's missing, she's missed two days of it already." She paused and patted Sarah's hand again, "Good for you. You'll get along fine, I think."

Sarah smiled, feeling incredibly comforted by the woman's words, "Thanks."

Maggie walked to the door and smiled again, "Goodnight, dear." The door closed behind her and the room was silent.

Sarah was really tired, but she felt her mind wandering nonetheless. Out of all the people she had ever known in the Aboveground, the two that meant the most to her had come. She had seen them and been with them. And while everything was not perfect with her father, he had at least not gone away angry.

But these reflections inevitably turned her mind to the one other person she wanted...no, _needed_ to see, the one person she couldn't have because she had no idea where to find him. Sarah felt incredibly alone. He was the only one she could tell, the only one who would ever understand. Except, at that moment, wherever he was, he _didn't_ understand. And even if she found him, it dawned on her that she didn't even know if he could.

Sarah felt the familiar burning wetness of her tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned her face into the pillow in an attempt to quiet her sobs. All the while she tried to keep the name inside of her, to keep it within until she found him, until he came to claim it.

Sarah's mind and body eventually gave in to exhaustion and she slept without dreams. At the dawn, she could not remember if she had ultimately yielded his name.

* * *

Not so very far away, a man dreamed. He dreamed of a forest and filtered sunlight and a green dress and eyes that danced. He dreamed of a room lit by moonlight and silvery sheets, of those same dancing eyes and a drowsily smiling mouth to match. A mouth formed of lightly blushing lips, drowned in starlight as they spoke to him, "Come away from the window..." The soft voice faded before she could finish.

But then the dream changed, she was in another, smaller bed and she turned from him and wept his name. He knew that she did this but he could no longer hear her, he did not know the name.

* * *

A/N: This is the first chapter of the epilogue. There will be three. I'm really excited. And, not that I didn't enjoy writing the rest of this little old fic of mine, but _this _is what I have been waiting to write, ever since I came up with the idea in the first place. And good things are in the future too. However, because it has taken me what seems like a really long time to get this chap up, don't expect one in the really near future. This is what my entire story comes down to, and it's what I'm really passionate about. I'll be putting my absolute best out there for this, so by no means will it be quick. But I know for a fact that it will be worth the wait. 

Thanks to everybody who reviewed the final chapter of TWB. I will be replying in my LJ, but maybe not til tomorrow, as I have Japanese homework that I have not finished (or started, really) yet. But the replies will be up! Don't worry. Also...look forward to another tidbit in a few days or so...just for fun ;).

And please, please review this. It is my baby. XD

Love,

Atsui


	2. Chapter 2

**The Way Forward**

Chapter 2

The land spread out before him, he cast his vision across the horizon. The walls and the trees and the sky, it was his own. Wasn't it? It was the break of day and a presence pulled him to the maze of green hedges, his head hurt. But time jumped and it was a warm afternoon and a pair of eyes gazed at him with a silent trust, a calm acceptance, with the fear of knowledge hidden well. All he could see were eyes like the hedges, had he found them there?

Time jumped again and now the eyes were ancient, knowledge burned in them, as did a question. The question frightened him and he backed away. He retreated onto a higher place, a different view of the land. The moon cast light only on the clouds, a fear deep within him, a mind betrayed. But the sky changed and he could see the stars. Everything looked red and he saw blood on his hands, blood in the red dust at his feet. He couldn't remember what had happened...a cruelly crimson grin caressed by flashing ebony feathers...amber silk fell from a golden tree and he heard a woman weeping...tears spilled from the hedgerow eyes and an anguished voice cried out his name...but he did not know it...he could not _remember_.

Three months. Sarah stared at the stack of paper in front of her. She was supposed to be editing. She hadn't turned a page in an hour, or more.

It had been nearly three months since he'd tossed her out of the Tower, October when she returned, it was now nearly Christmas. She still refused to go home, even for the holidays. This year, she wouldn't return to her father's house. If she left, she was afraid she might never have the strength to come back. And Sarah knew that she would find _him_ nowhere else. Bristol was where she had been returned and Bristol was where she would stay. And she _would_ stay _until_ she found him.

Her resolution reaffirmed, she let her attention wander back to the stack. It was at least three inches thick, her dissertation. She hadn't touched it in more than an hour. Oh, how she loathed the thing.

It was common knowledge that many grad students in all fields come to harbor a healthy hatred for their much labored master works, but Sarah could barely stand hers any longer. She hated touching it, reading it, thinking about it. It was the bane of her sad existence, a constant reminder of what had caused all of her misery, of the fact that she still could not hold the one good thing that came of her damnable curiosity and stubbornness.

The research had been nearly finished at the time that she was taken, and upon her return she'd really just had to write the thing. The first day she had picked it up again to work, she'd gone to an invisible corner of the library and cried the entire time. By the next day of writing Sarah had run out of tears, but the pain had not gone away.

What had caused her the most anguish was that she hadn't really needed to go to Glastonbury that day. She had had enough information to prove her thesis, but she had kept looking, not satisfied until she found her way back. If she had not gone there none of it would have happened, and Sarah no longer knew if that would have been a good or bad thing.

Her supervising professor had told Sarah only a few days before that she had "lost her drive," the bastard. She had wanted to laugh, or to burst into tears, or say that the "drive" had been _driven_ out of her. She _wanted_ to be able to enjoy it, to relish in the discoveries she had made, but her enthusiasm had been soured and she could not get it back. Sarah had only nodded and said she would work on it.

Sarah forced her eyes onto the paper once more and made a small tiredly frustrated noise, somewhere between a sigh and a whimper. She put the paper in her bag and left the personal study room in which she'd spent most of the day. No more work would get done, she was hungry and she feared she was developing a headache, which was dangerously close to a migraine. Lately she'd been having migraines, as if everything else wasn't enough.

A short walk across campus and up a few blocks brought Sarah to the flat she shared with Ruby in Kingsdown. It was a good size and a good price and Sarah loved being in it, which was more than she could say for a lot of places.

Ruby was in the kitchenette when Sarah walked in. She had a mug of half drunk tea in one hand and her coat in the other.

"Are you going somewhere?" Sarah eyed her a little suspiciously. The small woman had a tangibly persuasive air about her, which was never a good sign.

Sarah's roommate grinned crookedly, "Only if you come with me, but right now I'm pretty sure your answer is yes. _We're_ going to the museum."

"What?" Sarah wasn't really sure if she'd heard right.

She moved to wash the mug in their tiny sink, "Come on, Sarah-doll, it's the end of term, for God's sake. Let's celebrate a little."

Sarah was having trouble following the train of thought here, "By going to a museum?"

Ruby turned around, shrugging her shoulders and giving Sarah a withering look, "Well, I figure we have to start _somewhere_! You never _go_ _anywhere_ at all. And, there's an exhibit showing that I _know_ you'll love."

Sarah could see, having learned from the few short years she'd known Ruby, that at that point there would be no gainsaying it. She'd get her way, at any cost. "Fine, we'll go," she relented and dropping her bag negligently on the floor next to the door, spun around and started down the stairs. Ruby followed a minute later and was already lifting her roommate's spirits as they walked the few blocks it took to get to the city's museum.

* * *

_...could not remember..._

He was jolted from the dream by a muffled voice and an insistent knock at the door, "Jaaaay! Dearest, breakfast!"

He sat up quickly and hit his head on the bottom of the top bunk, "_Fuck_..."

"Dearest, language!" His mother had opened the door. She stood one hand on her hip, the other still on the doorknob, a disapproving look on her weary features. Jay had no idea how she could use the term 'dearest' in a disapproving manner and not make it sound sarcastic.

He rubbed his eyes then head, not too sleepy to glare at her, "Jesus, Mum. You scared me!"

She spoke softer, but it was another rebuke, "Language, Jay, you're home now. Your Father doesn't approve."

He pressed his lips together, "Sorry. You startled me...sorry." He looked away and rummaged about the cluttered bed stand for his glasses. He opened his mouth to say something to get her to leave so he could dress, but she beat him to the first word, "Do you still have those dreams, Dearest?"

Jay tensed for a moment and put his glasses on. Turning his gaze back to her, he blatantly ignored the question, "I'll be down in a few minutes." It was her turn to purse her lips, but she said nothing and closed the door behind her.

After she had gone he rested his elbows on his knees and put his still aching head in his hands. The dreams...he'd stopped bothering his mum with them around the time he'd reached puberty. Not wanting to worry her and also not wanting to have to go to her for help either. Not that he _needed_ help. They were just something he had to deal with...the dreams.

But somehow, she'd always known that they'd never gone away. Maybe Paul had told her. They had shared the room, but his younger brother had been threatened with death or worse if he told. Jay shook his head; Paul wouldn't have given him up. She'd just known.

As promised, he descended his childhood home's narrow stairs to the heaping breakfast Marian Travers had heating on the stovetop. She pulled out one of the dinky kitchen chairs for him; his father was reading the paper opposite. Jay sat down and smirked at her, "Did you go a bit overboard, Mum?"

She firmly set a plate before him, "I did not. Some of this is for your brother."

Jay spread jam over a piece of nearly burnt toast, taking a bite right before speaking, "Oh? When is the brooding artist to arrive?"

The deep voice of his father cut in, flat and curt as always, "Not till late tonight." He had not looked up from the paper.

Jay kept his eyes on his mother, changing his expression from mild inquisition to outright incredulity and dropping his toast, "And you're saving it for him? Why can't he just wait till tomorrow like everybody else?"

"He likes to eat the leftovers!" She crossed the tiny space and began putting the food in plastic bags.

"Honestly, Mum, the way you spoil that boy. It's turned him rotten. Y'know, he almost never calls me." He did his best attempt of her in reproving mode.

She turned sharply at him, almost able to hide the twinkle in her eyes, "Well, everyone's so busy going on about my first-born, somebody's got to spoil him. And from what I hear, it's that same first-born who doesn't answer his phone or return his calls."

The gruff, flat voice penetrated the newspaper once again, "He's not making enough off that _profession_ to be talking on the telephone as he does. That boy needs to learn moderation or learn a new trade."

Jay tensed in his chair, moving his eyes down to his plate as he silently finished his meal. There was no arguing with his father, one side always got ignored. This time it would not be his. He heard his mum still shuffling and clattering around the counter to his right. A moment more of silence and she wouldn't be able to stand it.

"You know he told me yesterday that three different galleries are interested in his work. He'll be going back to London for New Year's to attend some parties...fo-for business..." She trailed off.

"Business..._hmmf_," it was a close to a sneer as Jay thought he'd ever gotten, not being a man of strong emotions. Jay chose to take offense. If the man was going to disapprove, he should at least do it in an argument instead of vaguely provoking comments followed by impregnable silences.

Jay stood up quickly, allowing the metal chair to grate unpleasantly across the floor. He spoke to the front page, leaning across the table, "If you are going to say shit like that, you should say it to his face, or to _mine_, for God's sake, and we'll have a proper row." Silence.

He looked to his mother and put on a half-hearted smile, "Too bad the spoiled child will miss the Museum. When he comes, tell him that's where I went and that I'm with Collins, so we'll probably end up in some grubby pub somewhere in that district."

She smiled back at him, still wringing her hands, "All right, Dearest, will do."

He kissed her on the cheek and gave her tired hands a quick squeeze before going out the door. He was meeting Collins and some other people from the neighborhood at the Escher exhibit, only God knew why they'd decided on that place to meet for what would undoubtedly end up being a night of carousing with old friends.

* * *

The whole situation was just too easy, too perfect.

Sarah had _felt_ something, had known that something was going to happen, when they walked into the lobby. She saw the sign and immediately rounded on Ruby, "_Escher_? Since when, is there an _Escher_ exhibit here?"

Her friend looked a little worriedly at her, "It just came a couple weeks ago. I was pretty sure that you didn't know about it...so I thought I'd surprise you. Are you alright, doll? I thought you _liked_ Escher."

Sarah reigned in her shock and rising apprehension, she told herself it would be fine, "Ah, no...I mean, I'm fine. I do like Escher. I was just...surprised..." Sarah's roommate said nothing to reveal that she didn't believe the thin lie. But as they paid their admission and entered the museum, Sarah was forced to ignore the small army of barely concealed sideways glances with which Ruby persisted in barraging her.

The exhibit was very nice, the pieces were displayed in chronological order and the two women spent a pleasant few hours wandering through the artist's life shown through his work. But everything changed when they entered a new gallery room, long and ending with the conclusion of the exhibit.

Sarah looked down the long narrow room, wondering how much more time it would take. Her feet were beginning to get tired. But as she turned her head a group of people caught her eye and she thought she saw...

She turned swiftly away and told herself to stop imagining things. Lots of people bleach their hair that color. She had tricked herself into thinking she'd seen him three times before. Those sorry situations had all ended in disappointment and once in extreme embarrassment. She refused to screw with her own head again. _It wasn't him_.

She looked up at the painting in front of her and almost swore. It was an owl, a black and white woodcut, a university poster of some kind. Sarah told herself she didn't believe in signs anymore. But she turned back to the group again. Two men, a woman, and...him.

Circumstances seemed to show that everything was falling into place. Had she really found him? Prolonged thinking brought reality back to her, stomping all over her hope. Why should fate pull strings for her? She'd been given a raw deal the first two times around, so what was this? She was supposed to wait three months with no sign of him and then he would just fall into her lap?

Sarah attempted another glance across the room, but he inevitably held her gaze. He was absorbed in one of the paintings. She couldn't see which one, the group was obscuring it. But it wasn't like the painting was important anyway. It was him she was staring at.

She felt her eyes begin to water at the sight of him, just across the room, right in front of her. He distractedly ran a hand through his hair, pushing bangs that were just a little too long from his eyes.

Sarah could barely tell from the distance, but he looked to be wearing...glasses, small square-ish lenses encased in thin black frames. Why was he wearing glasses? Maybe it wasn't him; maybe it was all in her head. She wouldn't really be surprised if it was.

But if it wasn't him, Sarah realized she was staring at one extremely attractive man. His hair was the same unique color, the cut similar to what was currently in fashion, but it looked slightly ragged, as if he had not bothered to go get a trim. It gave him an understatedly sexy devil-may-care quality and, combined with his dark blue winter turtleneck and trimly cut grey blazer, he practically screamed of professional punk, if such a thing existed.

She saw one of his friends gave him a hard jab in the ribs at end of some joke and he turned, flashing an incredibly familiar feral smile before morphing it into a warmly charismatic chuckle. Sarah decided if the term hadn't yet existed, he'd just invented it.

Ruby moved to the next painting on the gallery wall and Sarah realized how long she'd been looking at him. She flicked her gaze to the painting, registering that it was one of the symmetrical designs, before looking back at him.

He didn't see her. If it was truly him, if he remembered, he would have felt her, he would have known she was there. She should go to him. She should do it like in the movies, drop something, or just comment on the painting, start a fucking conversation. Sarah was paralyzed, but she halted the flow of her tears. She would not cry anymore.

"Who're you looking at, Sarah?" Ruby asked the question absently, absorbed in the work in front of them, but then turned her head in the direction Sarah was looking, towards him and his friends. Sarah's heart clenched as a grin broke across her roommate's face. Something was going to happen here, it would all be ruined. Ruby knew him, Ruby loved him. That was it. He was the guy Ruby said she'd been in love with since high school.

Ruby's voice rang out in the virtual silence of the gallery, "Holy shit, Sarah! I can't believe it, Jay and mates, in a fucking museum, for Christ's sake! Sarah-doll, would you look at that!" Sarah frowned, she couldn't remember if _Jay_ was the name of that guy...but what else could it be? What would get in their way this time?

The whole group turned at the sound of Ruby's incredibly loud and vulgar outburst and he smiled. This smile was quick and genuine, open and honest, while slightly crooked and...aimed straight at her. Sarah felt her knees grow wobbly, had he caught her staring at him? But the moment passed and his eyes moved and fixed on Ruby.

Another of their group shouted back, presumably one of the mates, "Oi! If it isn't Ruby D, herself. And in top form as well. Shoutin' across art galleries and everything. Reminds me of that class trip to the Louvre...I've never heard so many Frenchmen yelling at one time."

Sarah's limbs felt rubbery. She couldn't move them properly and Ruby had to forcibly pull her across the gallery. She kept her eyes on him as Ruby dragged her while whispering fast in her ear, "It's fine, Sarah. We're just going to go say hello. We all come from the same neighborhood. The loud one is Collins, his mum and mine are best friends. The two stuck together at the hip are Meredith and Geoff, been together since year 8 or 9, disgusting isn't it? And you must've heard me talk about Jay before, the tall skinny guy with the hair. His younger brother Paul was in my form group three years in a row. I had a mad crush on him...still do, actually."

Sarah's heart shot to her mouth, she thought she was going to throw up, "On...J-jay?"

"No, doll, focus here, on his brother."

"Oh, okay." She was having trouble forming words and her limbs were still not moving properly.

"Sarah, it's fine. You're fine." Ruby slowed them down considerably, Sarah presumed to make sure that her statement was correct.

Sarah was most definitely not fine. But she nodded anyway, not taking her eyes away from him. The whole group was looking at them now, a few more moments of heel dragging and they would wonder what was taking so long. Sarah spoke to make sure Ruby believed her, it sounded weird and halting, even to her own ears, "Yeah…fine."

"Are you sure?"

Sarah lied again, "Yes."

After a few minutes of hugs and introductions, Sarah was eventually excluded from the catching up conversation going on around her. She stole a glance at him, he was talking animatedly with Ruby and Collins, the other two of the group listening and laughing. Her chest hurt, looking at him like that. She'd never seen _Jareth_ so...happy, so seemingly free of burdens and sorrows. She wondered if it was even him. The thought made her tremble, but he seemed so different, she couldn't tell.

Suddenly, she couldn't look at him any longer and she turned her eyes to the painting he'd been so engrossed in. She sucked in a breath. It was _Relativity_, the room with all the stairs going in different directions, _the_ Escher room.

She gazed at the painting, somehow seeing past the black and white lithograph and blank faces of the subjects to the earthy grey stones of that room in his castle. She remembered the frustrated hopelessness that had almost consumed her that day, before she leapt from the stairs.

The more she gazed at the piece, the more clearly she saw that room, Jareth in his reserved black and grim face, Toby so small and innocent chasing after the crystal. Sarah thought she saw it bouncing down the colorless stairs, she stepped forward slightly, hand outstretched to catch it.

A quietly deep voice broke her waking dream, "You know, I don't think you're supposed to touch the art."

She froze with her arm still extended and turned her head slowly, knowing it was him. He stood to her right, in an assuredly relaxed manner, his dark winter coat hanging over his shoulder, his head slightly cocked, and a guarded question on his face. His eyes were fixed on her hideously scarred wrist.

Sarah hastily pulled her arm back and tugged the sleeves of her over-sized sweater over both hands. She turned back to the painting, unable to look at him any longer. All of her muscles tensed painfully as she felt him move closer to her and look again at the work of art before them.

"This has always been one of my favorite paintings," he spoke nonchalantly, but slowly, as if he were trying to understand his feelings about the work as he was talking to her. "I guess I always thought it would be cool to have a room like that. Except, you would probably never be able to get anywhere in it, too confusing, right? And you would never be able to walk up and down the stairs that are in wonky directions."

Sarah kept her eyes on the painting, but she allowed herself to smile slightly at him. She thought, but did not voice, _Only you _could.

Collins' voice rose over them all, "Oi! Who wants to get out of here? I know a great pub just a little ways...er, that way." he turned his hand in a vague directionless circle. "Actually, I know a couple."

Jar..._Jay_ chuckled and called over to him, "Of course, you do."

He turned to her, but she still couldn't meet his eyes, she hadn't really looked at them yet. She was afraid they would be different...somehow. Sarah didn't think she could bear it if she saw nothing of _him_ in his eyes.

"You and Ruby are going to come then?"

Sarah had no voice for him. Thankfully, Ruby heard the question also and came up next to her roommate, tucking her arm into Sarah's as she answered a question obviously not directed at her, "Wouldn't miss it." She turned directly to Sarah then and spoke softer, "Right?"

Sarah nodded and smiled, forcing herself not to clutch Ruby's arm too tightly. They all started for the exit and Ruby slowed, whispering in Sarah's ear, "Are you sure you'll be ok? I don't want to go if you're going to be uncomfortable, doll."

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She lied again; the truth was that she had no idea how she was going to be or what she was going to do. She only knew there was no way she could stop now.

* * *

A/N: Oh, loyal readers! This is one massive chapter. Do you remember when I freaked out about the fact that chapter 16 of TWB was 11 pages long? Well, I've doubled that...yes, 21. This number boggles my mind. I was thinking briefly about splitting it up, but decided not to because I was almost finished with the whole thing and I wanted to keep my three chapter dynamic.

Now, as I stated last time, this chapter, right here, is what I have been waiting six months to write. It looks radically different than what I had originally planned but I love it anyway, maybe even infinately more. I really do. Please...begs on knees...tell me what you think about this chapter. I so want you all to love it.

Next chapter is the spectacular ending...I have some really great plans in outline form right now...and I can't wait to flesh them out and complete this thing. But, as this chapter took me oh, around three weeks to complete, don't look for it very soon.

Thanks so much to the betas, Heist for her great amounts of time reading paragraphs as I write them (thank god almighty for AIM) and crystal for her invaluable advice on living in and speaking like you're living in Britain. Thanks so much girlies!

Love to all who read and review (and those who do not...even tho they should),

-Atsui

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**_Edit Original chapter 2 has been split in twain...it is continued in chapter 3_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Edit: **This chapter is not new material. The previous chapter has been split. Chapter 4 will be posted shortly.

* * *

**The Way Forward**

Chapter 3

Jay was forced to make a sincere effort not to stare rudely at Sarah. He was slightly unsettled by how difficult it was becoming, Ruby's quiet friend was strangely entrancing, in a desperate, compelling sort of way. Jay decided he was really unsettled, but still found it hard to look away from the woman. She was so slight, not a short person by any means, but she seemed to be shrunken in on herself and she had not looked at him once since they had been introduced at the exhibit.

He was pulled from his thoughts as she finally finished off her third round, pushing the tall beer glass away from her with an accidental force that caused it to nearly topple. The others had finished long ago and were now congregated on the tiny dance floor. Jay had chosen to stay with Sarah, who drank slowly, but for some reason felt compelled to keep up with the group.

Her brows furrowed in the most enchanting way and she mumbled, only just loud enough for him to hear in the din of the crowded pub, "I think...that I've somehow gotten myself a little drunk." She made a valiant attempt to rest her chin on her hand, missed completely and boldly shot him her first smile of the night. Somehow her dark eyes were dancing, "Maybe more than a little..."

She lifted her eyes to his face and looked directly into his own. She immediately smiled broadly, as if she'd just come to an amazing realization. She grinned so radiantly at him, it seemed an eternity before Jay could form words, but she didn't seem to notice. He spoke softly, "I can't say I'm surprised. You're such a waif," finally giving her a chuckle and his signature crooked smile, trying to act normal, wondering in the back of his mind why he should _need_ to try to act normal.

Her smile widened then faltered and she swayed slightly, grabbing the thick bar table for support. Jay wondered at her apparent complete lack of tolerance to alcohol. He raised an eyebrow and she responded immediately to his unasked question, slurring and stumbling over the words, "I didn't used to be like this...It's just that I haven't had any in so long...even...even a long time before everything happened..."

At those words a darkness passed over her face and Jay remembered what Ruby said when she dragged him to a corner of the small coat room. She'd seen his interest before he'd even placed it himself and had told him to be careful, that Sarah had had a bad year. He remembered the scars on her wrist and forced himself not to shudder.

Jay smiled again despite his dark thoughts, trying to keep the mood light. He opened his mouth to change the subject, but somehow voiced a different question, "What's 'everything'?" He shut his mouth with a snap. He'd been wondering what she meant, but hadn't meant to push it...how much had he had to drink? He was sure it was only three, so inebriation couldn't explain away that slip.

She had looked away from him and Jay inwardly cringed as she spoke again, "...just..._everything_." The slight woman turned back after a moment, a poignantly sorrowful expression on her face.

His eyes widened at her abrupt change in mood and again he couldn't help but ask, leaning unconsciously towards her, "What is it?"

Sarah leaned back against the back of the booth and stared at him for a long moment, an unexpected fear slowly forming in her greenish hazel eyes, made dark by the dim light of the establishment. Her voice when she spoke was softer than before and tremulous, "Wh-what if you're not him?"

Jay felt a horrible wrench deep in his chest for her obvious pain, even though he had no idea what she was talking about, "Not _who_, beautiful?"

Suddenly he saw tears forming in those dark orbs, forming and spilling over her long lashes. She made no sound and he was unsure if she even knew she was crying. Jay went completely still, wondering what the hell could have happened to her, what she had been through.

Sarah breathed a single word in response, but still he did not understand, "..._you_."

Jay disregarded the curious revelation altogether. He was still hung up on her tears as he watched them fall, one after the other, helplessly. He unconsciously reached a hand towards her glistening cheek. The tears shouldn't be there, he needed to...to fix it somehow.

An unfamiliar voice traveled from the bar, breaking Jay's strange fixation, "Aw, come on, Culley, leave those kids alone."

An old man was staggering over to their table, a pint in one hand and a cane in another. Jay frowned at him, what the fuck did he want? Sarah looked at him with no particular expression, the tears now stagnant on her alcohol-flushed face. She regarded him almost as a mere curiosity, but that was before he opened his mouth.

"Leave 'em alone...leave 'em alone..." he started muttering, but as he came close to the table he pointed a gnarled finger at Sarah. "This one has taken the journey to Anwnn. Tell me, lass, did ye come back with your mind?"

Sarah looked like she'd just been slapped and Jay moved to get the old man away from her. But he was stopped by her voice, pained and so soft he almost didn't hear, "I...don't think so." And her tears poured forth again.

Jay felt a surge of anger and stood quickly, grabbing Culley by his coat before he could say anything else to upset her. He nearly dragged him back up to the bar and shoved him roughly up against it. The old man's glass fell from his hand and shattered when it hit the floor. Jay crunched the glass under his shoes, still clutching the man as he confronted the bartender, "I don't want to see or hear him again tonight. It's your responsibility, look to it."

He shoved Culley once more, trying to expel the dangerous anger that had just come over him, and turned away. The old man called to his back, "There's magic in that one, deep and thick as the mists of that land that banished her. Sure she didn't get a spell on ye, boy?" He laughed.

He turned back to the bartender, his mouth set in a grim line, "_Look to it_."

When he returned to the table Ruby and Collins had come back, worried and confused expressions respectively on their faces. Collins stood next to the table, switching his gaze between Sarah, the old man, and Jay himself.

Ruby sat next to Sarah who was leaning over the table, her head buried in her arms, "Sarah...doll, are you okay?"

He thought he heard a muffled, "I don't know," and felt that same anger threaten to overcome him again. He must have made some sort of noise because Collins glanced strangely at him for a moment.

Ruby sighed heavily, visibly upset, moving her hand soothingly on Sarah's back, "Shit. I knew this was a bad idea. I guess I should take her home..."

Jay stepped forward and sat on the distressed girl's other side, "Why don't you let me do it, Ruby. I, ah, feel rather responsible for this whole thing." He also didn't want to let Sarah out of his sight for some other irrational reason. "You know, Paul's supposed to be coming later. And I know you don't want to miss him. He's going right back to London after Christmas."

She looked up guiltily at him, "Jay, I told you, Sarah's had a really, really bad year. I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into."

At that Sarah lifted her head and turned to her roommate, tears dried on her cheeks, "Fuck it, Ruby. Just let him take me home so you can see the love of your life." Jay heard Collins snicker at that, but she didn't hear him. "It won't make you a shitty roommate. I'd be a shitty roommate if I made you drag my trashed carcass all the way home."

She turned to him now and smiled almost wickedly, swaying forward as she spoke, "Besides, Jar..._Jay's_ much bigger than you. He can handle me...right?"

He smirked at her, "Reasonably well, I would expect."

Actually, it was slow going, trying to maneuver the extremely wobbly Sarah through the maze of tables and towards the door of the tiny pub. Jay had pulled one of her arms around his shoulder, which ended up gradually turning into her hanging painfully and awkwardly from his neck. His other arm had been tentatively placed about her waist, but due to her almost constant unbalanced swerving, it too often inched dangerously far north or south. He was annoyingly embarrassed about the whole thing, and of course Sarah thought it was hysterical.

It took them just over ten minutes to travel from the table to the exit. They were nearly there when someone swiftly opened the door and almost barreled straight into them. Itching to give the inconsiderate bastard a sound verbal if not physical berating, Jay looked up and into his brother's face.

"Oh, damn," the curse fell unbidden from his mouth, he'd been hoping to be away from there before Paul arrived. Now the prat would have plenty of ammunition for later.

Jay saw his brother's brows raise in surprise when he saw who he'd run into, but he hadn't looked over to Sarah before he began speaking, "Jay! I figured you guys would...er, hello." He turned his attention to Sarah, but not before shooting a look and a smirk in Jay's direction.

This time Jay swore silently. He had never been a man who associated much with women. He wasn't being conceited when he admitted that women were attracted to him, people in general were attracted to Jay. It was a fact which, throughout his life, had put Jay off of people...in general. When he did associate with a woman, he usually fell for her _hard_. It had only happened three times since he'd begun his lifelong struggle with dating. But each and every time, Paul had been there to cheerfully find humor in every single agonizing moment.

Paul's smirk and turned into a grin of pure amusement as Sarah peered at him a little strangely. She looked rather like she was going to throw up for a moment, and then leaned further into Jay, unable to hold her head up to look at him any longer. Anyone could tell she was gone.

Jay reluctantly began introductions, "Paul, this is Sarah. She's Ruby's roommate from the States."

At that Paul was momentarily distracted, craning his neck to look further into the pub, "Ruby's here?" But he quickly remembered his manners and Jay took that opportunity to return a knowing smirk.

He turned to the still slightly lolling head on his shoulder, "Sarah...love, this is Paul, my baby brother."

Sarah lifted her head and looked at him for a moment, then turned swiftly to Paul. "Ohhh, riiiiight," apparently she'd just remembered both he and Ruby had told her he had a brother. She turned back to Jay and smiled beatifically, "Good for you." Jay found himself giving her a strange and worried look, completely lost to what she was talking about.

Paul had a similar expression on his face, "Is she all right?"

Jay knew he looked doubtful, "I think so. I'm taking her home."

Sarah buried her head into his shoulder and groaned slightly. Paul smiled again, "Good luck with that. I'll see you at home later, right?"

Jay scowled, "Where the bloody hell do you think I'm going to sleep?"

"Oh, I guess you'll be waiting till later for that, eh?"

Sarah lifted her head again, "Yes. Later."

They both thought it was hysterical and it was at that point that Jay felt it necessary for them to be on their way. But he did look back to see the eager expression on his brother's face as he went towards their friends' table.

After putting both hers and his own coat on Sarah, Jay pulled and pushed and practically dragged her slowly in the direction Ruby had explained to him before they left the pub. She said little, usually mumbling incoherently if she did speak, and he often did not respond, not really knowing what she was talking about anyway.

When he thought they were fairly near the flat, they were forced to stand and wait for a pedestrian traffic light for a few long minutes. Sarah hadn't spoken in a while and he was getting rather concerned again. Her head was on his shoulder once more, so he turned to her and cupped her chin with his hand, trying to get her to look him in the eye, "Sarah...love, are you all right?"

She blinked at him a few times and raised her hand slowly. To his surprise, she used the hand to smack him stingingly on the cheek, probably not really aware of her own strength at that point. She kept her palm against his face as she spoke slowly, "You know, I think you turned me into a bird, and I didn't even get a warning...that wasn't very nice, Babe."

He stared at her, incredulous, "I _turned_ you into a _what_?"

She closed her eyes to answer him, her voice coming soft and dreamy, "I remember the clouds and the winds and the land faaar beneath me." She spread her arms wide, like wings.

He wondered if there had been anything else in those three she'd had. Why, the fuck, would anyone have slipped her anything? He spread his arms as well, grabbing her hands so she wouldn't lose her balance, "I think you _really_ need to lie down, beautiful." He lightly pulled her into the position she had been in before, ready to continue on their slow walk, but the light still had not changed.

When she opened her eyes, Sarah turned her head and looked at him with the deep hurt and the quiet sadness of the abandoned, "You threw me back. You left me _alone_." She looked like she was going to cry again.

Jay's arm around her waist tightened, he felt like he had to say something, "No, I didn't, love, you're not alone. I'm right here." He watched her consider this, as if she wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. Her gaze became strangely unfocused and she shook her head, losing the tenuous hold she'd had on her balance again. He really had never seen anyone so intoxicated, and Sarah was _not_ a happy drunk. "Ah, maybe we should take a small detour to the hospital."

Suddenly she painfully grabbed fistfuls of his hair, pulling his face clumsily towards her and almost tripping in the process. He was forced to put his other arm around her as she spoke adamantly, her mouth centimeters from his own, "No. Dear God, do _not_ take me to a _hospital_."

She released his hair just as abruptly and leaned back far into his arms, laughing outrageously, "Oh, shit. I'm gonna shut up now or you'll have me in the loony bin by midnight."

He had no idea what was so funny, "It's quarter past one."

At that she only laughed harder and, realizing that he was already supporting all of her weight anyway, he swiftly picked her up and resumed the walk to her flat when that light changed a moment later. She barely noticed, still laughing. It was bordering on actually hysterical and he was getting concerned, but soon she quieted and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Jay couldn't tell if she was asleep, but he could feel the wetness of her tears through his sweater.

The directions Ruby had given him were fairly straightforward and before long he had carried Sarah all the way up the three flights of stairs and to her door. He shook the incredibly light woman in his arms gently, "Sarah, we're here, now. I need your keys, love."

She lifted her head and stared at him dumbly for a moment, but realization soon dawned, "Oh, right...keys, keys...keys, keeeeysss..." She moved awkwardly in his arms, reaching into all the pockets on her person, his own coat's included, before coming up with them. She lifted them high into the air, "Keys." She smiled.

He couldn't help chuckling at her as he took them from her hand, "Too true." Jay thought for a moment about how he was going to manage getting the door open and finally spoke again, "I'm going to have to put you down to open the door, Sarah. Ready?" He felt her nod against his shoulder and he set her feet lightly on the floor, "We're just going to lean you here up against the wall. All right?"

She leaned her head against the smooth surface behind her and eyed him through half-closed lids, "Ummm, okay."

Jay spent the next few minutes trying to figure out which of the many keys on Sarah's ring was the one for her apartment. He knew there was no use in asking her, so he tried one after the other, all the while feeling Sarah's unfocused eyes intently examining him. He glanced over at her. She was frowning, "What?"

She said nothing, but lifted a languid arm and reached for his face. Jay kept perfectly still, preferring not to get poked in the eye, as her fingers wrapped around his glasses. Her slow awkward movement succeeded in getting the one end of the frames snagged against his thankfully closed eyelid.

He opened his eyes a moment later. She was just holding them delicately in her hand, staring at him again. He spoke after another moment, "You know, some people think they make me looking dashing."

She shook her head, "I know you without them." She said the words dead serious and Jay marveled that she was so gone as to confuse the words "know" and "like" without it even batting an eyelash. He finally got the right key and the door swung open, but he didn't go in just yet.

Sarah looked at the door, and then back at him, an obvious question on her face, "The door is open."

He smirked and cocked his head indifferently, "So it is. Are you going to give me my glasses back?"

"No." She smiled wickedly and before he could restrain her she stepped in and stumbled over a rather large bag sitting next to the doorway.

Jay sent a prayer of thanks to somebody that he was able to catch her by the waist before she tumbled to the floor. He hauled her too light body up and set her on her feet again. Lifting her chin to look him in the eye again, "Ok, Sarah, from now on you don't go anywhere without a hand on me or my hand on you. Got it?"

Sarah looked angrily at him, her lip trembling as she fought with emotions that passed one by one over her face, anger, and sorrow, and fear, and anger again. Her wavering voice grew a little harder, "Fine, let's go over here."

She grabbed his hand and stomped over to the bag that was now further into the room than it had been a moment before and began violently kicking it. Speaking in short, anguish filled spurts, "Stupid...fucking...damn you...this...is...all...your...fucking fault!" A huge pile of paper spilled from the bag and scattered across the floor and she began to swipe at it also, pitching forward wildly but somehow keeping on her feet.

Jay watched her confoundedly for a minute before realizing that he should stop her before she hurt herself. He tried to pull her gently away from it, but she jerked out of his grasp. He was forced to wrap his arms tightly about her middle and drag her further into the room, past the kitchen and away from all sharp pointy things. Sarah fought him furiously the whole time, slapping and elbowing his extremities and cursing like a sailor.

After a few short minutes, she grew tired and sagged against him. Jay pulled her even closer, weaving his hand into her long dark hair and cradling her head against his chest as she began to sob. "Shhh, my Sarah," he was barely aware of what he was saying to her, concentrating only on getting her tears to stop, "It's all right. It's nobody's fault. Whatever it was...it must have been fate...shhh..." Then he began to hum, it was a song he barely remembered...or had ever known the words to, "Hmm hmm hmmm hmhmhm, hmm hmm hm hm..."

Sarah lifted her head, his hand was still in her hair, "I don't know that one."

He smiled, "No one does, beautiful. Not even me."

She looked almost as if she were going to cry again, but did not and allowed him to lead her into the bedroom she'd pointed out as hers. Jay opened the door and looked in, noting the pictures of Ruby with various people, his own brother included, and the Bristol City football paraphernalia scattered about the room, he decided it was probably not Sarah's room. But he turned to her and saw that it would just be easier to stay where they were.

"Why don't you lie down?" He spoke softly and guided her onto the bed.

Sarah sat down heavily and looked around for a moment, her brows furrowed in bewildered confusion, "This doesn't look right."

His mouth curved upward, "Don't worry about it, beautiful." He took the two coats off of her and bent to remove her shoes, speaking the whole time, "Why don't you just lay down right here. That's it. Just put your head right there, good girl." She complied easily and he pulled Ruby's rumpled sheets up and around the nearly sleeping woman. He picked up his coat and extracted his finger-printed glasses from her hand, turning to leave, not wanting to stay past his welcome. Ruby would be back soon anyway.

But her arm snaked out and caught his leg. She whispered to him, her voice breaking and heart-wrenchingly sorrowful, "_Don't leave me alone again_."

Jay stared at her long, caught by indecision. But he finally took her hand in his own and sat on the floor next to the bed, realizing that he would not be able to leave. "You're not alone, Sarah. I won't leave."

She smiled sadly, as if she knew it was a total lie but decided to indulge him, and closed her eyes again. He leaned back against Ruby's bed side dresser and watched her expression lighten slightly and her breathing slow as sleep finally claimed her. He did not know how long it took for his exhaustion to overcome him as well. He did not dream.

What seemed like only moments later he was being shaken awake by an only slightly tipsy Ruby, "What the hell are you doing in my room?"

Jay wiped a hand across is eyes, trying to remove the sleep from them, "She told me it was hers. I figured one bed was as good as another. You're not going to want her by herself tonight anyway."

He could barely see Ruby, the room was so dark, but he heard her sigh, "Yeah, I suppose. What are you still doing here?"

"She asked me not to leave her alone," he paused, not sure if he should ask, but did so anyway. He needed to know everything he could, "Ruby, what..."

She answered before he could finish, "I don't know. She won't tell anyone."

Jay slowly got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. He realized he was in for a lot more agonizing moments this time around. But he also knew he wouldn't be able to stay away, "Shit."

Ruby only nodded slightly in reply and after giving her a quick hug he left the flat and started walking towards home.

Jay was silent as he entered his parents' house and climbed the narrow stairs to the room he shared with Paul. He opened the door with no sound, not wanting to wake him, and proceeded to trip over something soft and rather squishy on the floor. He fell on top of it.

"Get off me, you stupid git!" Jay heard his brother hiss from underneath him.

"What the bloody hell are you doing on the floor?" He scrambled off Paul and climbed onto his bed, turning on the desk lamp next to it.

Paul had been sleeping in a nest of blankets, his hair was extremely mussed and he was shirtless. He also looked half drunk. "Well I can't fit on the top bunk anymore, can I? You remember that growth spurt I had at Uni. I decided I wouldn't take the cramping anymore. Enough's enough."

Jay let loose the smirk he saved especially for Paul, "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you may not have made it up the ladder, would it? It certainly didn't take you very long to catch up with everybody."

Paul gave him a withering look, "No it didn't. It never does with good old Collins around."

Jay laughed and began getting ready for bed as he continued their conversation, "Have a good time with good old Ruby, did we now?"

"I'd have to say it was a better time than you had with...ah...Sarah, was it?"

"Oh, shut it, Paul. You know damn well it was Sarah. We've all heard about Ruby's roommate at least once before."

Paul was quiet for a moment, positioning himself for contemplation in his blankets, then spoke again, "Yeah, I remember the last time I called Ruby she said she was worried about the girl. That's she'd been missing or something. I guess she's okay now though, right?"

Jay turned swiftly, "_Missing_? I hadn't heard that."

"She's all right though?"

"Oh...er, yeah. I got her to bed and left when Ruby came back."

There was another long silence, "Jay..." He didn't finish.

Jay had finally got himself into his bed and was ready to turn out the light, "What?"

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into?"

He somehow felt immediately affronted by the statement, even though he had basically admitted it to himself at her flat. He went on the defensive and he heard it in his voice, "Why do people keep thinking that I'm 'getting myself into' something? I just took her home for Christ's sake!"

Paul's response was quiet but confident, the voice of reason, "Jay, you called her 'love'. I heard you do it. You just met the girl. You _never_ did that with Ellie, or Francesca, or even Gina. You were bloody _in love_ with Gina."

Jay sighed, "I was 'bloody _in love_' with them all."

"Oh yes, of course. Pale, tallish, dark-haired waifs, I guess we've got your type finally pegged."

"_Shut it_, Paul. This is..." he didn't continue.

His brother sat up swiftly and rounded on him, "Different? Were you going to say different? Because if you were, I ought to knock some of your pretty teeth loose. This is not different, Jay. It's just going to be a lot harder. That girl is a fucking mess."

Jay leaned over the side of the bed, right into Paul's face, "I know she's a fucking mess. But I also know that I can't leave her alone. She bleeding _begged_ me not to leave her alone and now I can't. And don't say she didn't mean it that way or that she was extraordinarily tanked at the time. I understand that. But I still can't fucking leave her alone."

Paul stared at him for a long moment and then said simply, "All right. Just...I can see this getting ugly, Jay. Really ugly."

He sighed heavily and leaned back against his pillow, "So can I. But...she's really hurting, Paul. Someone...did some really horrible things to that girl. I just...I need to help her."

"I get it, Jay. Can we go to sleep now, for Christ's sake?"

"Y'know, we really have to start watching our language. Mum was all over me about it this morning, she said Dad doesn't approve."

Paul snorted, "Dad doesn't give a rat's arse, either way."

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to tell her that!"

"Whatever! Can we please go to fucking sleep now?" Paul groaned loudly and Jay smiled, switching the lamp off a moment later.

Jay lay quietly in the black for an indeterminate amount of time, thinking of the strange night that he'd just experienced and wondering just what the hell he was going to do. He ultimately fell asleep still thinking of Sarah and dreamed of a girl with hedgerow eyes that always seemed to be full of tears.**_

* * *

_**

A/N: Oh, loyal readers! This is one massive chapter. Do you remember when I freaked out about the fact that chapter 16 of TWB was 11 pages long? Well, I've doubled that...yes, 21. This number boggles my mind. I was thinking briefly about splitting it up, but decided not to because I was almost finished with the whole thing and I wanted to keep my three chapter dynamic.

Now, as I stated last time, this chapter, right here, is what I have been waiting six months to write. It looks radically different than what I had originally planned but I love it anyway, maybe even infinately more. I really do. Please...begs on knees...tell me what you think about this chapter. I so want you all to love it.

Next chapter is the spectacular ending...I have some really great plans in outline form right now...and I can't wait to flesh them out and complete this thing. But, as this chapter took me oh, around three weeks to complete, don't look for it very soon.

Thanks so much to the betas, Heist for her great amounts of time reading paragraphs as I write them (thank god almighty for AIM) and crystal for her invaluable advice on living in and speaking like you're living in Britain. Thanks so much girlies!

Love to all who read and review (and those who do not...even tho they should),

-Atsui


	4. Chapter 4

**The Way Forward**

Chapter 4

Jay walked through the stacks of the Bristol University Library, searching for the dark corner Sarah had hidden herself in this time, hidden herself and then somehow lost track of the hours. She was supposed to have met him over an hour ago, they had dinner plans and he'd thought of treating her to the cinemas.

He cracked his neck as he cast his eyes into every studying nook he passed, letting his hand slide over the bookshelves. The usual one and a half hour drive from Exeter, where he was completing his second masters, this time in Computer Science, had taken double the time due to an alarming amount of traffic accidents. The rain had been heavy and the drive had been hard. But he had come through, only to be profoundly disappointed when Ruby told him Sarah had not returned from the library. Jay wondered what kind of night he was really in for as he rounded a corner and spotted her.

She had fallen asleep. Jay tried to shake the indulgent smile from his lips as he silently sat in the chair next to her, watching her steady breathing, her eyelids flickering as she dreamed, a small smile on her face. He always thought it was strange that she smiled in her sleep, every time he'd ever seen her sleeping it was there. Wouldn't she have been troubled by nightmares? Wasn't that what usually happened?

His own smile refused to go away. He should have been irked. It seemed to Jay that he had taken every step, put in all the effort, in their three month relationship. All Sarah had to do was show up and enjoy it, be distracted from...whatever, take pleasure in what he was trying to do for her. This time she could not even do that.

Jay shook his head, trying to dispel that train of thought. Sarah hadn't asked him for any of it. It had been he who had called her almost directly after that night, he who made a point to come see her while he was still at home, to call her every few days after he left again, to drive an hour and a half to see her nearly every weekend.

He kept it going and she often seemed baffled by the entire situation. She really had never done anything to encourage him, but she had never told him to stop either. She was warm on the phone and they had fun on their dates. But she had never fully opened up to him, always holding herself back, just a little reserved. He still could not bring himself to stay away. He was starting to question his reason.

Sarah stirred, moving the papers slightly out from under her cheek. Jay glanced at them, wondering what she had been working on. He fingered the paper, typed with red ink corrections, but he saw sporadic smudges also, mingled red and black watermarks. He went very still as he realized. They were tear-stains, she'd been crying.

Jay put a hand to his forehead, trying to move past this stillness, this strange feeling he had when he was aware of Sarah's distress. He couldn't. Sarah had wept and he needed to know why, he needed to do something.

He shook her gently, "Wake up, beautiful." He wanted to smile at her, to make a joke about it but he couldn't. He spoke again, his only thought on the reason for her tears, "Sarah..."

Sarah floated in and out of the dream. In the ballroom, she looked away from him for only a moment, turning to the sound of his voice calling her name, and the dream shattered like so many shards of mirror. Sarah started violently but quieted as she felt familiar hands grasp her shoulders gently, "It's only me, Sarah. You're fine."

She had turned away from the ancient mismatched eyes to meet only warm pools of brown, set in the same face, framed by wire and glass. Jay looked at her with a question in those eyes and Sarah shivered. This was when he looked the most like _him_, when he knew that she'd been upset. Normally, in everyday life, _he_ was there in Jay's eyes, but it was usually muted, overshadowed by his humanity. Not so now, and Sarah wondered if he was even aware of how different he looked.

Jay softly grazed his fingers over the now dried tears on her face, a graceful stillness to his movement. Sarah shut her eyes; his touch incited minute tremors up and down her spine. _He_ was so close, but she didn't know what to do to bring him out. She wanted to cry again, she wondered if that would do the trick. His voice was soft and deeper than usual. She opened her eyes, he was _there_..._he was so close_, "What is wrong, love?"

She blinked at him. What wasn't wrong? But soon remembered...he wanted to know what she'd been crying about. She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when he broke their gaze for a moment and shook his head slightly. He looked back at her and she despaired. He'd asked the question, he was going to get an answer...she saw _him_ withdrawing, the magic was leaving his eyes. His hand fell from her cheek. She quickly caught it, pulling it back up. She refused to believe she'd lost her chance. Confusion and then concern filled his now too human eyes, "_No_," she whispered.

Jay put his free hand on her arm that had only just begun to shake. Had he done something wrong? "Are you all right, Sarah?"

He felt her forcibly still her body and let her remove herself from his grasp, watching her put a mask over her true feelings, whatever they were. She began pulling her papers together, shoving them into her bag. Her voice was quiet. They _were_ still in the library, but somehow he felt that she wouldn't have been able to summon any more volume anyway. "I'm sorry, babe. I...I don't know what happened, I guess I was just really tired."

Jay frowned, that wasn't it. He reached for one of the remaining papers, his voice came out strange, but he didn't think about it, "That is not the reason for this." He pointed to a water-mark on the wrinkled paper.

Sarah looked at him sharply and felt a wave of guilt wash over her. The fae look had returned to his eyes, but she saw that his muscles were taut. He was fighting it, he didn't understand. She needed to stop messing with his head like that. She put her hand over his on the tear-stained paper, "I discovered today that I'm missing some research and I have to double check some facts before I can call this thing officially finished. I...ah, I have to go back to Glastonbury."

He started at that but a moment later she saw him relax. Sarah knew that Ruby had told him at least that much of what had happened to her. An idea slowly entered her head; she thought maybe it would help them both. She put a small plea in her expression. She didn't think he would be able to say no, "Will you come with me?"

Jay stared at her, too overcome with an irrational sort of joy to say anything. He hoped she couldn't tell how pleased he was by this latest turn in events. She obviously found the idea of going back there daunting at the least. But Jay still couldn't hold back a quiet smile. Sarah was _asking_ him to come with her, to be with her, to help her.

She hesitantly returned his grin as he took her hand and answered, "Of course I will."

* * *

Just over two weeks later Sarah emerged from the dark recesses of the church library where she'd spent most of the day and adjusted her coat before stepping out of the sheltered entryway. It was chilly for April and she had dressed with comfort in mind that day, not for warmth.

The sun was setting behind the Tor but Sarah did not stop to take it in. She'd told herself she could handle being in the stacks, she'd told Jay that he didn't need to come. That didn't mean she was comfortable with the Tor, or with the trip in general.

Sarah tried to get past her dislike of the town as she walked back to the little flat she and Jay had rented for the weekend. The road and the buildings were all slightly damp, but the rain clouds had already moved from the rapidly darkening sky and she felt a warm breeze push her forward. Sarah's mood brightened a little and her step quickened as she remembered Jay was going to make her dinner, beef stew and dumplings sounded extremely good to her.

She entered the surprisingly spacious apartment and dropped her bag on the sleeper sofa. Sarah knew she'd have to move it later, there had been a silent agreement between them that Jay would sleep on it, but at the moment the aroma that was emanating from the tiny kitchenette was too good to bother with anything else.

Sarah paused at the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against it and taking in the extraordinary picture she saw before her. He stood over a cutting board, competently chopping vegetables in an almost impossibly sexy pair of jeans, faded, ripped at the knees, and hanging precariously low on his hips, exposing a strip of his bright red boxers liberally sprinkled with white hearts. He also sported a severely shrunken and over-worn lime green Kermit-the-frog t-shirt, emblazoned with the immortal words "It's not easy being green". This was admittedly a leftover from by gone years, but apparently his favorite shirt for staying in.

His glasses had fallen low on the bridge of his nose and his nearly white hair along with the decidedly juvenile attire was contradiction personified. He was at once mature and youthful, a strange mixture of the alluring and the absurd.

Sarah smiled in spite of herself. Never in all her yearning imaginings, had she envisioned that the mortal Jareth would be such an oddball.

Jay had just put the last of the vegetables in with the meat and thick broth when he looked up and saw Sarah in the doorway. He pushed his glasses up absently and began kneading the dough for the dumplings as she plopped down on one of the stools next to the counter. She greeted him with a warm smile, "Hey, babe."

He grinned back at her, his hands sunk in sticky dough and flour. Jay hoped that her good mood was not just a front, "Hey yourself. Everything go all right, love?"

Sarah shrugged and, pulling a small piece of dough from his hand, began to play with it, "It took longer than I thought it would. But I found everything I needed. No big deal." He looked up to see her smile crookedly at him and cast her eyes towards the pot behind him, "I'm kind of embarrassed I even asked you...to come, I mean. It's not like...you know..." She trailed off uncertainly.

Jay shook his head and snatched the dough back from her while she was looking away, "Don't worry about it. I needed a break anyway."

She glared at him through her smile, missing the occupation for her hands, rubbing the sticky residue off her fingers, "Well, it doesn't really seem to me that you're getting one. You didn't have to do this, you know. We could have gone to that tavern again...saved you the trouble."

It was his turn to shrug, "I don't mind at all, love. Besides you haven't had beef stew until you've had my mother's recipe." She smiled; satisfied it hadn't been a totally boring weekend for him.

They passed the next few minutes in silence, she pushing stray flour around the surface of the counter as he dropped the dumplings into the simmering stew. The process was repetitive and Jay let his mind wander. One of the familiar tunes came into his head and escaped through his pursed lips as he stirred the thick liquid. He let the words he knew follow it, "Hm hm hm hmm hm...deep in your eyes...a kind of pale jewel..." After a while the continuing melody started to sound strange to his ear, but he couldn't place why until he heard her fill in a measure that he'd forgotten.

Sarah's mind had also wandered far, traveling from her nearly completed dissertation towards territory she was unsure she wanted to enter. His song had brought her back, but not far enough to realize what she was doing when she joined her voice with the beloved deeply crooned melody. She let herself flow into the song, closing her eyes, surrendering to it. She loved his voice; it was exactly the same, allowing Sarah to believe, just for a moment, that _he_ was truly with her again. But reality crashed over her when he broke it off abruptly. Sarah came fully back to herself and froze turning to him.

Jay stood stalk still over the stove top, staring at her with a dangerously desperate glint in his eye. He set aside the wooden spoon and turned off the heat with an exaggerated slowness, as if he didn't trust himself to do it any faster. He never took his eyes from her. Sarah spat a thousand curses at herself silently, how could she be so stupid?

His voice was flat, dispassionate, but a nudge would bring it to deadly, "How do you know that song?"

His eyes burned at her and she couldn't think, she didn't know what to do, "I-I, ah, I must have heard you sing it before." It was a half-truth. He would never believe it.

He moved to face her, directly across the counter. He leaned over it, his hair brushing her face as he somehow looked in her eyes and whispered in her ear at the same time. Sarah forgot how to breathe, "You're lying to me, love. I've never sung it for you. _How do you know it?_"

She didn't speak a word, merely staring at the rage seething in his eyes, she saw _him_ there. She tried to think as his eyes seared straight through her own.

Sarah had not seen _him_ angry when she was in the Labyrinth for those four days. But she remembered. He had the same stoically calm face, the same almost cold fire smoldering in his eyes, the same slowly burning intensity. This was a Fae's outrage at betrayal, this was _his_ own suppressed resentment molded into the face of a mortal.

But she knew this was not the way. He was too angry, he wouldn't believe anything she said now and she didn't know what he would do.

He was waiting for her to answer. Sarah prayed for his eventual forgiveness before she spoke his name in a frightened whisper, "_Jay_...you're scaring me."

She saw the anger fall away from him as he pulled swiftly away from her. She tried to reach out to him, she couldn't bear the fear and pain in his eyes. He flinched and struck her hand away from his face, backing out of her reach, as if he no longer deserved to be touched, to be comforted.

Tears filled her eyes. She should have taken whatever violence he would have done her. Anything was better than the anguish and self-loathing she saw in his face. But before she could do or say anything else, a horribly stricken expression passed over his features as he registered her tears. He thought she was crying because of his anger.

She shook her head at him, her guilt refused to let her speak, to reassure him. He backed another step away, he was breathing hard and fast. He looked everywhere but directly at her, his voice was hoarse and broken, "Oh God...oh God, Sarah. I..." He put a trembling hand to his head, as if it pained him. He looked back to her, meeting her eyes, opening his mouth, he forced the words out, "I...I...have to go."

Sarah shook her head again, but he was no longer looking at her. Before she could move to interfere, he was out the door, not even bothering to shut it behind him. Sarah cradled her head in her arms and wept. She could only wait for him to return.

Jay leaned his forehead against the cool glass of a phone box about a minute's sprint away from the flat. His head was pounding. He tried to go through what had just happened once more.

She'd sung with him, she knew the song. How did she know it? That's all he'd wanted to know. But she wouldn't tell him...he'd been so angry. He'd never been so enraged in his entire life. It was as if she held some strange power over him, a control he couldn't shake. She knew something she did not reveal. But why wouldn't she tell him? Why would she _lie_?

He numbly picked up the phone, needing to talk to someone. Jay dialed Paul's number, vaguely surprised that he remembered it. He rested his head against the top of the phone's metal encasement, waiting what seemed like an eternity for his stupid brother to pick up.

Jay got the prat's machine, he yelled into it after the beep, "Fuck, Paul!" The words fell from his mouth, and he let his shaking knees give, sliding to the filthy grated floor. Jay no longer cared what he was saying, "Where the fuck are you, you sodding bastard?" A long pause, "Oh, shit. Shit, Paul. I...I don't know what's going on anymore. S-something's happening...she's...shit, I don't know what's come over me. She's...oh fuck, it's not her fault. This is me. Something's happening to me, Paul. I...I don't know..."

He trailed off, staring into the fog. It was rolling in rapidly, but he saw it as if it were moving in slow motion in and around the buildings and trees of the town. It enveloped everything in its ghostly shadow.

He knew it wasn't that late, but Jay saw no one in the street. His eyes moved back to the phone in his hand and he realized he hadn't hung it up yet. Then he realized exactly what he'd said into it, and approximately what Paul's reaction would be. He rapped his aching head hard against the glass, "_Fuck_."

Jay had no idea how much time had passed when he finally pulled himself to his feet. Exiting the increasingly claustrophobic box, he walked slowly, head in his hands, through the dense fog, the swirling mist, back to Sarah.

She opened the door only a second after he knocked. He'd heard her rushing over to it. But as she stood before him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, the reason for which he was completely at a loss. He didn't attempt to come in. He couldn't bring himself to move from the doorway, to cross the threshold.

As she looked at Jay, Sarah wondered if he'd been in a fight or something. His jeans were filthy, his shirt damp with mist and sweat. But he didn't seem to be injured. He didn't open his mouth, but his haunted eyes spoke volumes and the guilt rose within her once more. The fog drifted around him from the front garden, it flowed past her, in through the open door.

She shouldn't have done it. She shouldn't have manipulated him like that. He still said nothing, and she felt the need to fill the silence. She lifted her hands, spreading her fingers entreatingly towards him, asking for forgiveness for something she knew he didn't comprehend, "I-I'm sorry..." It didn't seem like enough, "I...I'm torturing you."

A new pain filled his eyes but she didn't know what else to say. He was balanced precariously on the balls of his feet and uncertainty battled fear for supremacy in his expression. Sarah knew he was getting ready to bolt again.

She didn't know what to say. She needed him to understand, despite what she did know, she felt almost as lost as he. Her voice fell unbidden to a whisper, "I don't know what to do. I wish I knew how to make it stop."

Jay heard her words and the anger seized him once more. She knew. She knew something she wasn't telling him. But what had she told him anyway? She'd never told him _anything_ at all.

He lifted a hand and removed his glasses. They were uncomfortably cold on his face, they chafed his skin. He found he could see fine without them. He threw them negligently past her onto the bag in the corner of the sofa. Jay slid out of the uncertain stance he'd been maintaining and into that of a predator. He felt himself do it. He saw her see him do this and, somewhere deep within him, he heard himself laugh at her rising alarm. Who was in control? Who held the power now?

Sarah's eyes widened as she saw _him_ rise into Jay's no longer caged eyes, his nobly chiseled expression, his innately feline movements. He put two hands on the door frame and leaned towards her. She refused to back away from him, this time she would let him do as he wished.

He looked her up and down with a calculating eye, his voice came, piercing her words, slashing through her supposed ignorance, "_Make it stop?_" He turned his head slightly, leaning closer to her, breathing in her scent. She smelled of a wood in spring, of light and dark, mingled with fear and desire. He expelled her scent as he withdrew and spoke again. "Sarah, I am not someone to be toyed with. If you realize what you are doing, whatever it is that you _are_ doing to me, you are able to stop it."

His close proximity and then quick removal left Sarah dizzy for a moment. She needed to be near him, but his predatorial demeanor prevented her from moving. He caught her eyes in his burning gaze and she spread her hands again. She couldn't think when he stared at her like that. His eyes ripped the words from her mouth, "I…I don't k-know what I'm s-supposed to do!"

She could tell right away that he didn't believe her. She barely saw him shift towards her and he moved so fast she couldn't evade his grip. He snatched her fingers almost painfully, shoving the long sleeve of her T-shirt up to her forearm with his other hand as she was jerked towards him. Even this minimal touch sent the dual fires of panic and lust through her body.

His eyes didn't leave her face and his hold crept up to her marred wrist as she finally tried to escape it. He threw the words at her, harsh and demanding, "Tell me about the scars, tell me about the song, tell me _something_."

The coolness of the fog and the warmth still lingering in the kitchen were merging at the doorway. Sarah felt at once hot and cold. She felt her resolve failing. Her flight instincts fought to take hold of her reason. She began to shake. She saw him become aware of her burgeoning fear, she saw him close his eyes as he moved to pull her closer. He was reveling in it. _He was so close_.

Sarah felt panic taking hold of her. She needed to get space between them, needed to find some measure of control. She took a desperate step backwards, using the force of her body to wrench her hand from him. He let go with a surprising ease that caused her to stumble backwards. She righted herself after a moment and looked up at him once more.

He almost casually stepped into the room, shutting the door with a resounding clunk. He never took his eyes off his prey, and Sarah felt cornered. She was still shaking. She didn't know what to do now. Had she ever know what she was doing?

Jay took a few more leisurely steps forward and she met each one with a backward retreat. He smiled slow and measured. They had all the time in the world. He felt a chuckle rise in his throat, finding her attempts to escape distantly amusing. Where did she think she was going to go? He had seen the two base passions in her eyes and in her body, and he knew he would have them both before the night was out.

But first he wanted the truth. He felt the words come from that same deep place inside him, "I do not know what you are thinking, Sarah. I am not _within_ you." She visibly recoiled and he smiled. She'd cut him, he would cut her back. The truth hurts.

Sarah felt her primal instincts riding her hard. She needed to get out because of what he was doing to her, the way he was looking at her. She needed to stay and keep _him_ there, no matter what he did, or said, no matter how he looked at her, or touched her. She found herself darting her eyes about the room, looking for a way out.

She heard him laugh. He laughed at her and whispered, "Where will you go?" as she spun wildly and rushed into the bedroom, looking for the window. His hand caught her arm and he held her about the waist, the panic engulfed her until she thought she'd faint. But she fought for consciousness, knowing he'd withdraw if she were truly harmed. She let him haul her into the air, struggling against his arms until he whirled her about fast and thrust her against the wall next to the bed. His voice could barely be heard, but Sarah's eyes grew wide in unaccountable terror while her knees grew weak as he pressed against her, "You have nowhere to go."

Sarah strained against his weight upon her and found she could not move at all. One hand held her by the wrist, like a shackle, raising her arm over her head. The other had her at the waist, pinning her hip against the cool plaster wall. His face was a breath away from hers, his brown eyes now so close they were twin oceans of black, turbulent and wild. He spoke with a dangerous softness, "How do you know the song, Sarah?"

She couldn't think for the depth of his coldly burning gaze, the heat of his hands and his body on her, the smoothly frozen wall at her back. Everywhere was ice and fire. He wanted an answer. She spoke the only truth she could remember, "I heard it in a dream..."

He chuckled mercilessly, bringing his searing lips to her forehead, shaking his head in deceptively calm denial. He did not believe her. "No, no, my Sarah, _I_ heard it in a dream. _You_ heard it somewhere else," he crooned to her and she bit back a whimper...or would it have been a moan?

He released her wrist and her arm it fell lifelessly to her side, she did not have the energy or the desire to even put up the pretense of fighting him any longer. He pulled his hand into her hair, cupping the base of her neck with an unyielding palm. She felt like dough in his hands, she could have melted into the wall, dripped through his fingers. His eyes met hers again and she drowned in them, "_Tell me where you heard it_, Sarah."

She opened her mouth. He wanted an answer, but she had none for him. She couldn't think, she couldn't remember anymore. His hand moved from her hip to her thigh in a brutal caress, the other clamped tighter about her neck and she went rigid in his arms. Panic seized her and her mind flashed the vision of a forest and sunlight, he had held her there too. He forced the response from her and it came in short gasps, "I...I heard it...while...when I was...gone...missing."

This was not enough of an answer for him. "_Gone_..._missing_..." he echoed mockingly, bringing his mouth to her ear, softly pressing his cheek to hers, "That is all you ever say. Why must you hide the truth?" He shifted still closer to her, his hand slipped to her inner thigh and she gasped. His voice had grown hard, edged with menace, "_Where were you, Sarah?_"

Each word traveled to her on his breath, made hot by his anger and impatience with her. Sarah's eyes rolled and she trembled violently with the warring sensations of sensual pleasure and a very mortal, very primitive fear.

She felt her tenuous hold on her reason slip through her fingers. She was no longer certain he would not harm her, and she no longer cared what he thought after that night. She would answer his question and be done with it. She didn't know what else to do.

She turned her panic driven gaze back to his all consuming eyes and grinned. Hysterical relief flooded through her and she laughed breathlessly as she finally told him, "I was with _you_."

At her strange admission he went completely still. She felt him realize exactly what he was doing to her, she felt his fury quail, she felt him grasp desperately at his humanity. He abruptly released her, backing away.

He pushed himself away from her. What was he doing? Why should he wish to hold Sarah thus, to keep her, to possess...he denied his mind those thoughts. He looked down at his hands, they didn't feel like his own, numb and too loose. His mind didn't feel like his own, distant and too wild.

A moan came to his ears and he swiftly lifted his gaze to see Sarah slide limply from the wall. She fell sideways against the bed, her back scraped painfully against the bedside table. She cried out hoarsely and he flinched. What had he done to her? He thought of what she had said...it made no sense, yet it pulled at him, yearning for him to understand. What was she doing to him?

He lifted a hand, he wanted to help her. But as he moved to go to her, his eyes darted as the loose collar of her soft cotton shirt fell to one side, exposing to the moonlight the smooth flesh of her perfect shoulder. Feeling a desire he dared not name well up inside him, he knew if he was near her, he would not be restrained. It would overtake him. He would stay where he was, rather than lose himself again. _What was she doing to him?_

She saw his hand fall in a tightly closed fist and a visible shudder ran through him. He had kept the graceful stillness in his limbs and his eyes had regained their glaring coldness, but there was a slight waver to his gaze. It betrayed his fear.

Sarah's heart went to him as she clawed her aching body onto the bed. He didn't understand. She pulled herself up to sit on her knees, leaning on her still shaking forearms. She lifted her face and met his eyes.

They were dark and hooded and Sarah felt a stab of regret. He did not understand and he would believe she was raving. He opened his mouth, searching for words. They came out accusatory but haltingly so, as if he didn't really know what he was saying, but felt compelled to speak "You're insane. Y-you are...doing something to me...I am...becoming...you are changing me into something I don't recognize..."

As he spoke the words, uncertainty and fear came to rule his expression once more and Sarah knew it was the time to act. She sat up slowly, eyeing him coyly as she lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it away. She shook her long hair loose and gathered it to spill over one shoulder and down past her bra.

Sarah climbed leisurely over the end of the bed and set her feet softly on the ground. She stood before him and deftly untied the string of her pajama bottoms, letting them fall smoothly to the ground. She stepped lightly away and into the reach of his arms, clad only in her underwear. He stared at her like a rare, cornered beast, his dual natures battling. One part of him was afraid to face her, but the other was unwilling to back down.

He needed comfort and she would give it to him. She knew now she could not force _him_ out, not with words, not with actions. But she could lure him, she could reach for him and she knew he would take her hand. She remembered the feel of his hands, the weight of his anger, the pain. She looked into his wary eyes. The possibility was there, but she would do what she must, any price, she would pay it.

She cast her eyes towards the floor as she approached him slowly, as submissively as possible, enticing the predator. Her fear had gone and all that remained was the pleasure he had earlier kindled in her. Neither of them had come away satisfied. She knew she would not shrink from him this time. She stepped up to him and he wavered, as if he were dizzy. She heard him take in her scent and she did the same. He smelled of heady spices and down, he smelled of thinly disguised lust.

Sarah looked up at him through her lashes and placed her hand lightly on his chest. He quivered at her touch and she smiled prettily, raising her other hand up to his shirt collar. Her hand on his chest slid down, caressing his abdomen and pulling at his t-shirt. He only leaned into her touch, saying nothing, his trembling hands did not encourage, nor did they prevent her.

She stood on her toes, raising her lips to his ear, and whispered simply, "Lift your arms." He drew in a sharp breath and a moment later he complied. Looking down upon her as his shirt fell at their feet, she saw his eyes were dazed yet he still did not move to touch her.

Sarah let her right hand fumble playfully at the waistband of his jeans as she drew his head down to kiss his slightly open mouth. She played on his teeth with her tongue and yet he still did not respond.

She finally awakened him as she abandoned his zipper and pulled her other hand to his face, tugging on his ear and biting his lip hard to she deepen the kiss. His arms came roughly about her, tangling in her hair and sweeping down her back. She broke the kiss when his hold loosened slightly and looked into the wild and dark pools of his eyes, _he was so close_.

He remembered the dreams as he held her, as she held him. He looked into her eyes and he saw, "You have her eyes...the same...like the hedgerows...I...dreamed..." His voice felt broken.

He was struggling to make it logical, mortal. But Sarah felt deep within her that it was not. She lifted a hand to caress his cheek, to stroke his moonlit hair "Shhh, it's all right." She kissed him chastely on the side of his mouth, leaning towards his ear, whispering, "_Let go_."

She breathed it into his ear and he felt the command echo entreatingly inside his head. Something shifted with in him. She kissed him again, but broke it quickly, holding her slightly parted lips only just away from his own. She was drawing him towards the bed and he could no longer refuse her. He no longer wanted to refuse her.

Her hedgerow eyes danced slow and enticing as he heard the whispered entreaty again, "Let go, my love."

The moonlight and the mists seemed to intensify, filling his vision until he could see only her eyes. His hands found her lithe body and he lifted her onto the bed. He heard his voice as if from a great distance as he spoke against her sighing lips, "_Yes_."

* * *

Jay stared out the large windows next to the bed, fixing his eyes upon the darkly looming rise that was the Tor and realizing that he'd just done something very, very bad, something completely and utterly appallingly inexcusable. He'd emotionally and sexually taken advantage of an insane woman.

Sarah thought that he was someone else. He was sure of that now. She had said that she'd been with _him_. It physically sickened Jay to think that she most probably believed him to be the man who had done those horrible things to her. Sarah was not only a "fucking mess", as Paul had put it, she was mentally ill. And he had perpetuated her illness, he had given her the means to cling to her experience in ways that she should not have. He felt awful.

And yet...he wondered if...faced with the choice again, he still might not have been able to stop himself. Jay felt a wave of self-loathing crash upon him. He staggered, grasping the window sill with a force that made the wood creak.

He knew he would not have been able to stop. He tried to remember how…his thoughts came up against thick and swirling mists. But he could catch glimpses through the haze, he remembered her body, he remembered her voice, and he remembered speaking words he didn't understand as the moment had come over them both. He had lived that time, it had been him with her, but it was almost as if he had not been in control.

There was something about her...something he had not yet grasped. The last thing he remembered clearly was her soft entreaty and his surrender to it. He would not have been able to stop, he had no idea how it had even begun. His thoughts turned to their earlier strange argument. How he had acted, he was disgusted with himself...maybe he was the one who was insane, or maybe she had driven him to it. But why did she hold such _power_ over him?

He should get out while he still could...or could he, even at this point? Jay looked back to her, sleeping peacefully...contentedly in the bed. The moonlight shone on her skin and the strewn aside sheets, giving them both a hauntingly beautiful glow, a familiar glow. Jay blinked at the image and shook his head, trying to dislodge it from his brain. He saw her stir, his eyes moving across her and up to meet her sleep glazed eyes.

Sarah's thoughts were hazy. The bed was warm, but he was no longer in it. He was supposed to be there. She looked up; he was standing at the window, leaning against the sill, his eyes fixed upon her, motionless. The moonlight made him seem a statue, a Greek god set in alabaster. She smiled at him, he was so beautiful, she spoke without thought, "Come away from the window, Jareth."

The ever-shifting element within Jay swung once more and slid into its place, it was a key, it fit and it turned. The name..._the name_...she had spoken it. She had struck the chord in his soul with a slip of her exhausted tongue. She had said the name and this time he was not dreaming, he had heard her. The echo reverberated through him, his muscles, his organs, his entire body sang with it. The key opened a door that he'd never known existed.

Knowledge and memories entered his mind faster than he could register them. His years in the court tore painfully at him as he witnessed the tragedy of his mother's losing battle and finally her fall. He relived the consuming hopelessness of his rejection of the Teind and his exile, the gnawing loneliness of his solitary rule, the terrifyingly frozen gaze of the Shadow Queen all in an instant.

And then _Sarah_ burst into his battered mind with a blazing radiance, a painful ecstasy. She was seared into his vision...the innocent in the park, reciting lines from a fairy tale...the child player of his game, caught up in dreams only half of her own making, the other half, his...the woman victor, left with nothing but a search, caught up in an unknown, darker than she could comprehend...the half-starved waif, tortured almost beyond recognition, bloodied and scarred in mind and body...the recovering ethereal beauty, strength under frailty, steel behind mournful eyes...the love of his soul, his reason to endure, his salvation, his life, his _home_.

Sarah had said something to him, but she couldn't remember what it was. She'd been so tired. But almost as soon as she spoke a gasp and a cry had escaped from his throat and she saw his legs give under his weight.

He may have hit something against the window sill for she heard a sickening crack, but he did not cradle anything as he fell. He just writhed there. He did not make a sound, but she thought his mouth was open in a silent scream. She forced herself to cease watching him in dumb horror and climbed from the bed, crawling over to him and trying to ease the obvious pain he was in. She wished fervently that she could remember what she had said, hadn't it been something about coming back to the bed?

He struggled with this inner conflict for minutes more and they stretched long in Sarah's perception. She began to call his name, alarm rising when he seemed insensible to her efforts. She'd repeated his name for so long it had become a mantra, "Jay...Jay...Jay...Jay..." It did not occur to her to call anything else.

Suddenly he went completely still, so motionless that she began to fear that he'd somehow died. But a moment later he stirred, almost languidly. His eyes opened; what had before been wild and turbulent were now blessedly tranquil. Sarah caught her breath; she thought she saw...a captivated recognition in his gaze that had not been there before.

He lifted his eyes to her slowly, savoring each moment he beheld her. She was bent over him, concerned terror written on her beautiful face, her hands clutching his shoulders tightly. He had fallen to the floor and she had been calling his mortal name for sometime.

He looked into her eyes. Her eyes, oh, her eyes had stayed with him, had haunted him in all his dreams. He lost and found himself again in her hedgerow eyes and spoke, "_Sarah_."

He said her name as if he'd been waiting to speak it for centuries, unlike he had ever said it before and tears came to Sarah's eyes. She lifted a hand from his shoulder to tentatively graze his cheek, her mind not yet believing what her heart was screaming to her. He leaned into her warm palm, releasing an almost inaudible sigh. She smiled, causing the welling tears to spill down her face. They were tears of happiness, of incomparable joy. _He was there_.

He lifted both hands to softly brush away her happy tears, whispering a simple request, "Say it again, _my love_. Say my name again."

"Oh, _Jareth_..." She rested her forehead against his own as he brought his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. Relief was rich in her voice, free of the weight of months of fear and uncertainty, but her tears had not yet ceased, "Promise me, my love..._Jareth_, just promise me that you won't leave me alone again..."

Jay looked at Sarah's struggle over the past months with new eyes. Jareth remembered all he needed to understand. He was complete, himself, and yet he was more than he had ever been.

He wove his hands into her silken tresses, and her tears fell to his own cheeks. He kissed her softly twice, once on her lips and again on her brow to soothe her trembling. He murmured as she clung to him, "I have just lived a thousand years in the blink of an eye. For this moment, my love, I would live it all again a thousand times over...I will _never_ leave you, Sarah."

* * *

A/N: You may have noticed that there are two new chapters, but only this one is actually new. This is true. I decided that chapter 2 was entirely too long. I've split it in half and split my original idea for chapter 3 in half. The new result is five chapters for the epilogue.

This is chapter 4. I worked so hard on this. It's taken me two weeks to complete and I'm extremely happy with it. I need to especially thank Heist, who has helped me with it enormously, even up to about 10 minutes ago as I put in the last few changes and details. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lovely. Also thanks to crystal, who told me what a phone booth is called in England, however hard to believe I find it. Sorry for not waiting for the rest of the email...but you gave me permission this time ;).

LJ replies may come tomorrow...it's a little late right now. But thanks to everyone who reviewed and please, please, please do it again!

Love muchly,

Atsui

Disclaimer: Don't own Labyrinth or, sadly, any Kermit t-shirts...:(


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Paul Travers returned to his flat around 2:30 in the morning, cold and wet and ready for a shower, or sleep. He figured it would end up being both at once, he was so tired. The gallery's post-opening party had been endless and even though he'd made a few good connections that night, he'd just been unable to enjoy himself.

He had left the party earlier than planned, choosing to walk instead of taking a cab, and been unfortunately caught without a mack by a steady rain that broke after two.

Walking through the kitchenette, past his answering machine, he noticed the messages and frowned. Everyone that would call him in the hours since he left had been at the gallery or in bed for the night. Paul frowned again wracking his brain for a reason anyone would have called him as he pressed the button to play the message. He almost didn't recognize the harsh and desperate voice coming out of the machine.

"_Fuck, Paul!" _A pause,_ "Where the fuck are you, you sodding bastard?" _A long pause,_ "Oh, shit. Shit, Paul. I...I don't know what's going on anymore. S-something's happening...she's...shit, I don't know what's come over me. She's...oh fuck, it's not her fault. This is me. Something's happening to me, Paul. I...I don't know..." _An even longer pause and a muttered, _"Fuck," _followed by the muffled click of disconnection and the beep of another message. A friend from art school had dialed him drunk. Paul deleted the second message and replayed the first, thinking hard.

Paul had only ever heard Jay's voice sound like that in between whimpers and moans coming from below him in the dark. He spoke words with that voice that Paul had never been able to make out.

When they were really small, Paul would cry until Mum came. When they were older, after Jay had threatened him into silence, he would try to wake his afflicted brother by shaking the rickety bunk bed or dropping anything he could find on or near Jay's head. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.

Paul knew that voice well. But in the message, Jay was speaking _to him_. He had never done that before.

A feeling of unease was rising within Paul. Jay wasn't one for practical jokes and he would never joke about something like that anyway. As reason tried to convince him that he was over reacting, Paul hit the button to play the message once more.

"_Something's happening to me, Paul."_

Jay's brother swiped his keys from where he had tossed them on the counter and threw his bag across his shoulders. He didn't stop to grab his mack from where it hung next to the door as he headed determinedly back out into the wet, hoping he could at least get some sleep on the train.

* * *

For several minutes Ruby had been staring through bleary eyes at her ancient toaster as it attempted to blacken two pieces of bread, before the abrupt ringing of the telephone, which hung on the wall right next to her ear, jolted her out of her usual late Sunday morning stupor. 

She let out a yell of surprise and pain, cursing at herself for wanting a loud ringer so they could hear it in the bedrooms. Ruby picked up, snarling a "Hello?" into the receiver and biting back a "What the fuck do you want?" as she tried to shake the still vibrating ring out of her skull.

"Hello? Ruby?" The voice on the other end was one she would recognize anywhere, but there was a tone of urgency in it that set her immediately on edge.

"Paul? What's the matter? Are you all right?" The questions came before Ruby even considered that she could be over-reacting.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine...uh, sorry." There was a short pause, she heard him take a breath, and decided he was probably trying to get himself to sound more normal. Typical Paul, pretending everything's fine. She frowned at him and wished he could see it as he asked, almost naturally. "Is Jay there?"

"Er...no. He and Sarah went away for the weekend. Is something wrong? Did something happen?" Ruby remembered her father's heart attack the year before, her mother's panicked voice over the phone.

She clutched the counter with white knuckles when he didn't respond right away. His voice was hesitant, "I don't know."

Ruby flipped, how could he not know? "For Christ's sake, Paul! Are your parents all right?"

"What? Ohhh...yes. I'm, er, actually home right now. They're both fine."

"Jesus! You nearly gave me a coronary...what the bloody fuck..." He cut off her looming, curse-riddled tirade before it could even get started.

"Look, I just got a...strange message from Jay last night. I wanted to know if he was all right..."

Ruby was taken aback at this. _Had_ something happened in Glastonbury? She felt dread sink into her gut as she replied, "Well, they're due back, um...what time is it? Erm, in about a half an hour. I haven't gotten a call or anything from Sarah...What..." Ruby hesitated at the question; she didn't want to pry into something he didn't want to share.

Paul's answer sounded flustered and not a little angry, though Ruby was pretty sure the anger was not directed at her, "Oh, fuck, just forget I called. I'll talk to him later. And...don't say anything about it to him, okay?"

"Um, sure thing." She tried to sound casual, but now he was the one who was worrying her. "You said you were home. When can I see you?"

She heard him smile at the change in subject, "Come for supper. Mum's making some sort of fish, I think."

"All right. See you tonight." She said simply and hung up the phone a moment later with a worried frown. She turned back to her toast, which was in serious danger of starting a fire, when a tangle of long and skinny limbs tumbled through the door.

Jay's ironic chuckle filled he room as he helped Sarah up, "You and I don't seem to have very much luck with this door, love."

* * *

"Oh! They're here!" As he trudged down the narrow stairs, Paul rolled his eyes at his mother. Marian Travers' voice rang out again with unsuppressed excitement, "Paul, oh, your brother's here and he's brought a girl! Your Father will be so pleased when he gets home." 

Paul sighed heavily and clenched his fist. If Jay could find the patience so could he.

Her exclamations of delight went on regardless. "Oh! And Ruby too!" She rounded on him as he walked into the kitchen. "You didn't tell me Ruby was coming! What if there isn't enough filets for us all?"

Paul looked at his mother guiltily, but still tried to defend himself, "I rang her rather early and fell asleep almost immediately after. You know I only woke up a half an hour ago. I didn't have time to tell you, did I?"

He flashed a sheepish grin in Ruby's direction and she gave him a cheeky one right back, "I did almost the same thing. Of course I had to deal with these two love birds first." She pointed with suggestively raised eyebrows at Jay and the slim woman, whose coat he was removing gallantly.

Coughing to conceal his guffaw, Paul turned his attention to Sarah. She looked similar to the girl he'd met hanging on Jay's neck that night, but she seemed completely different. The first thing Paul had noticed about Sarah, other than the extreme inebriation, was the air of quiet desperation surrounding her, as if she were some sort of magnet for despair and tragedy. He had had no doubt that night that it was something she would retain, even when she wasn't so thoroughly intoxicated.

But, the thing about her that really bothered Paul in the bar was how she had looked even more desolate when she looked at his brother. Even when she'd made the joke about sleeping with Jay, it was in an almost tragically ironic manner, as if, maybe later would never come at all. That was why he'd told Jay to be careful, hinting at him to stay away. There was no way around it; the girl had been a mess.

Had been was the key though. As he looked at Sarah standing in his mother's kitchen, Jay's arm comfortably around her waist, he almost thought she was a different girl. She was wearing a pretty green dress that, his artistic sense noted, complimented her eyes and skin beautifully. The tragic aura surrounding her was completely gone. Her face was serene, still painfully thin, as was the rest of her, but she carried herself with more assurance. She seemed happy and relaxed. Paul found her transformation astonishing.

Sarah blushed slightly at Ruby's eyebrows and smiled at him as Jay chimed in, disrupting Paul's train of thought, "Don't worry about the food, Mum. Sarah doesn't eat much anyway."

Their mother stepped closer to the slight woman and looked her up and down, "Well, I can see that. You're thin as a rail, child! If anyone goes without food tonight it'll be the boys."

The girls both laughed and Paul pounced on his brother, hissing in his ear, before he could voice any indignant outrage, "I need to talk to you."

Jay turned to him with a steady gaze, "Sure." Sarah looked up worriedly at him, but he smiled almost indulgently at her and squeezed her hand, "Be right back, love."

Paul rolled his eyes again as he pulled Jay up into their old bedroom. They faced one another, Jay leaning against the bunk bed and he against the dresser opposite. Jay broke the silence first, speaking casually; they both knew what the subject was going to be, "Mum told me you took the early train to get here."

"What was that message about, Jay? What's going on?"

"Let me just say that I'm so—"

Paul cut him off right away, he just wanted a straight answer, and he didn't need to hear apologies. "Were you high?"

"What?!"

"Well, what am I supposed to think? You were high or you were having a nervous breakdown. You seem to be functioning all right, so...what the fuck was going on?"

Jay sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, as if summoning patience. Feeling patronized, Paul scowled as his brother began brushing off the question, "It was nothing. It's fine now. Sarah and I had a...fight, but everything's fine now."

There was a tinge of warning in Jay's voice, but Paul persisted, "Jay, you've got to be kidding. That message was not the result of just a fight."

"Don't worry about it, okay? I'm sorry I freaked you out. Everything is fine now." Jay spoke painfully slow, his rising annoyance plain on his sharp features.

"_Is it_?" Paul wasn't sure why he was pushing so hard. That message had shaken him. Something big had happened between his brother and Sarah last night and Paul wished Jay would tell him.

He thought about that message again..._ Something's happening to me, Paul_. Jay remained silent, but his eyes flashed, almost dangerously, and his jaw clenched. It looked as though he were restraining himself. Paul took the chance that he was holding back some sort of answer, "Just tell me what happened between you two. Did she do or say some—"

The speed and violence of Jay's movement did not even register in Paul's mind until seconds after he was pressed hard against the rickety structure of the bunk bed. His brother held him painfully by the shoulder and neck, pressing the right side of his face into the bowing wood. Paul could only see him out of the corner of his eye, but he could almost feel the anger radiating off of Jay. A bolt of fear shot through his body as he realized Jay had been attempting to refrain from physically harming him.

Jay leaned forward, as he spoke, soft in volume, but harsh in tone, "Tread lightly, boy, you do not know of what you speak." Paul gasped and coughed a little as Jay's hand pressed further into his neck, "You know _nothing_ about her and less than you think you do about me. The message was a mistake. I was not thinking clearly, but let me assure you that I am now. Sarah has not done anything to me that I did not want her to do. I am fine. We are fine. But you will not be fine if you do not let this go."

Paul was having a really hard time wrapping his mind around what exactly was going on. He coughed again, louder this time, and wheezed a little, his lungs protesting against the limited air Jay's taut hands were giving them. And then, just as suddenly as he had struck, Jay released him, backing away a few steps, as Paul collapsed half on the mattress and half on the floor.

A moment later he looked up uncertainly into the face of his brother. Jay had backed into the dresser, knocking some of their boyhood knickknacks over in the process. His muscles were visibly tense and his breath came labored. His expression was still angry, but his eyes looked almost wary, as if he was unsure of what he would do next.

Jay was not a violent person. Sure, they had wrestled and fought together before, they were brothers. But Jay had never struck him in true anger. He had never done anything close to what had just happened. Paul remembered once when they were teenagers, Jay had accidentally pushed him down a few stairs while they were tussling. He had been fine, but the fall had looked bad, and Jay didn't stop apologizing until Paul was forced to instigate another fight just so he'd shut up about it.

Now Jay offered no apology. He only looked at him in silence, his eyes flashing a mix of emotions that Paul couldn't decipher. _Something's happening to me, Paul_.

It took a moment for Paul to find his voice, and then another for him to find the words, "Wh- what...what the bloody hell..._happened_ to you?"

A humorless laugh seemed to escape from Jay as he closed his eyes and shook his head. His limbs eased slightly and he leaned against the dresser rather than pressed against it. The laugh lost momentum as he began to speak, "I wouldn't know where to begin..."

Paul felt pang of uncertainty, trying to fathom what could be so complicated. What could have happened between the two of them in the last three months that Jay could be unable to explain? Paul tilted his head so that he could rub his aching neck and still keep his eyes on Jay, "Begin at the beginning. What's the problem?"

Jay had sunk to the floor as Paul asked the question. His arms were resting on his raised knees and his head hung defeated as he shook it in denial, "There are so many beginnings...It's all jumbled...Sometimes I think I'm starting to lose track..." He pressed his hands to his eyes for a moment and looked up at Paul, a tearing guilt plain on his face, "I can't tell you, Paul. I'm sorry."

Paul felt a huge gulf open up between them. This was big. Whatever it was, it was life-changing. How could Jay not tell him? "But—"

"Can you, please, just trust me that everything is fine now? Sarah and I are fine."

Jay's plea did not fall to deaf ears, but Paul could not hide the hurt from his voice. "I can understand that there are some things that you can't tell me, Jay. But, it's going to take a while for me to accept that everything is fine."

* * *

By the time Jay and Paul returned from their "talk", Mrs. Travers had brought Sarah and Ruby into the sitting room and unearthed the family photo album. Sarah turned slightly to cast a speculative look at the brothers. Both were tense and she recognized the increasingly familiar set of Jay's jaw that meant he had been fighting against the instincts of his Fae half. She smiled at him as he came to stand behind where she sat on the sofa, but did not attempt to disguise the worry in her eyes. 

"...and this one was taken on Paul's first birthday," the beaming mother pointed to a snapshot of one-year old Paul with icing all over his face, smiling up at a mischievous-looking, toddler Jay with icing all over his fingers.

Ruby reached up to ruffle the hair of Paul, who had just perched on the arm of the sofa next to her, "Awwww, isn't he cuuuute!"

But Paul swiftly knocked her hand away, ducking his head, "Come on, Ruby. It's not as if Mum hasn't pulled out this old thing every single time you come to the house."

As the two scuffled, barely aware of the others in the room, they bumped the album in Mrs. Travers hands and a loose black and white photo fell to the floor. Ruby pulled away from Paul's onslaught and picked up the picture, "What's this one? I don't think I've seen it before."

"Oh! I thought we'd lost this." Mrs. Travers took the photo from Ruby reverently, "Boys, this is your father and I just after we got married. He was still writing his book." She smiled sadly.

Sarah remembered that Jay had told her his dad was a creative writing professor. He'd written one book, a smash hit and bestseller for weeks, but never published another work of fiction. He now taught only theory at Bristol University. Sarah had friends who had taken his classes before and they'd all complained he was a bore and a merciless grader.

Jay's mother passed the photo to her, murmuring about checking on supper, she moved from the sofa and out into the kitchen a little too quickly. Sarah held the old picture lightly in her hands, scanning her eyes over the two smiling faces. She thought they looked very much in love, but remembered Jay's curt descriptions of how things were now and wondered what had happened.

Suddenly she felt Jay tense behind her and she started as he snatched her wrist, leaning forward to peer at his parents. Surely he had seen the picture before; Sarah wondered what could be wrong.

Sarah saw Paul turn his head from the quiet conversation he and Ruby had been having at Jay's actions. But all thoughts of his brother flew from her head as Jay whispered harshly, "_He ran it_...oh God..."

Gasping in surprise she twisted around to face him, and as she turned, a shadow passed through the light from the kitchen, someone was standing in the doorway. Sarah turned back, knowing that Jay's eyes were fixed on the older, sterner version of the man in the photo as he walked around the side of the couch to stand next to where she sat.

"Oh," Mrs. Travers spoke from behind her husband, with only a trace of her earlier excitement, "Daniel, we've got some extra visitors tonight. You remember Ruby Davis from the neighborhood." As his mother went on obliviously, Sarah saw Jay mouth his father's name, his eyes still wide in recognition. "This lovely young lady is Sarah, Ruby's roommate from America."

Sarah stood quickly, slipping her hand into Jay's, and speaking directly to his father, "Jay and I are also dating. I'm very glad to finally meet you, Professor Travers."

The older man looked at her for a moment, a strangely impassive and somehow disapproving expression on his face, and then moved his eyes over to Jay. He seemed to note his son's own expression of shock and horror without any reaction and said simply, "Yes," before moving on into the kitchen.

Sarah heard Mrs. Travers murmuring something in the other room as Jay sank down onto the sofa. He freed his hand from hers and leaned his head against his hands. His eyes were wide and staring faraway. She knelt in front of him, moving her hands up and down in his arms in an attempt to soothe him somehow.

She thought she heard Ruby move from the couch and leave the room and Paul moved somewhere behind her, but he was still near. Her hands found Jay's face, caressing it lightly, she spoke his name, "Jay...babe, what is it?"

His eyes flicked to her face, but quickly away as he thrust his hands through his hair in a desperate gesture, "Oh God, Sarah...he ran it..._that fucking maze_..." The last was in a whisper, but Sarah gripped his arms hard to get him to shut up.

She turned to Paul, he stood with his back too the doorway, confusion and hurt plain on his face. Jay looked up abruptly at the sound of his voice, sharp and bitter, "_Everything_ is not _fine_, Jay." He spun and stalked out of the room.

Jay's eyes grew distant again as they followed his brother. She rubbed his arms once more, "Jay..." Her voice could only produce a whisper.

He put his palms against his eyes and spoke in hushed but fervent tones, "Oh, Mother of Light, Sarah, he ran the Labyrinth...he lost a child...that book he wrote...but I took the rest...Oh, _Mum_..."

"Jay, you have to slow down. I don't understand."

"My father ran the Labyrinth almost thirty years ago. He lost and Aidan and Nadia took the child. I...I gave him his dream, he wrote his best-seller and after that...Mum said he was never the same...he's, Oh God, he's such a bastard and I've hated him, but all this...this is all my doing."

His hands had begun to shake and Sarah grasped at them as she cried, "No!" Pulling his face up to look at her she spoke fiercely, "It's not your fault, Jay. You know whose fault it is. You couldn't have known..." Sarah trailed off as something did not quite add up, "How would writing his book make him...change like that?"

He moved his hands to her face and into her hair, "Oh, love, I never told you. I didn't think...it wouldn't have mattered...you didn't need to know..."

Sarah's brow creased, she thought they had moved beyond secrets, "Know what?"

He looked past her, remembering, "When the Labyrinth...when I offer the runners their dreams, if they take them...if anyone acquires a dream without achieving it...they loose the ability to create any more dreams...at all."

Sarah stared at him in shock, thinking how close she had come, but he kept on, his face stricken with the guilt of two lifetimes, "He could never write another book, he's still teaching the same classes at Bristol, we never moved out of this tiny house, because he never dreamed he could do anything else. Mum told us once what he was like before...I imagine he was a lot like Paul...and I _hated_ him, we both hated him for the life he made her lead...she never understood why, but she never left him...Oh God...all because of me..." He had been speaking all in a rush, but now he put a hand to his mouth, "I think I'm going to be sick..."

Jay began to get up, but she pushed him back onto the sofa, "Jareth!" She had spoken a little louder than intended, but is attention snapped back to her. "This is _not_ your fault. It's his for wishing away the child, for losing his dreams—"

"You're supposed to lose them. You were the only one," he interrupted, denial in his eyes and the slow shake of his head.

"It doesn't matter," she retorted, "Blame the Queen then. _It's not your fault_."

"But how many more lives did I ruin? How many more families like this one?" His voice was taking on a hysterical edge.

Sarah grasped his hair roughly locking his despair darkened eyes with her own, "You're not listening, Jay! It was _her_, not you. You didn't know!"

He tried to pull from her, but she would not allow it, "I should have known. I should have cared!"

She peered at him in confusion, "Why would you have?"

"What?! How can you say that?" He recoiled from her and she released him, realizing it was too soon. He was too close to it to see. But she had spent a year with _her_, she had heard his story and she knew what they were like, maybe even more than he did at that moment.

"Jareth," Sarah spoke his Fae name deliberately, "You're looking at this from a human perspective. It was remarkable that you even worried for the children. There was no reason for you to be concerned about what happened to the runners of the Labyrinth. And what would you have done for them? What's said is said."

Jareth drew a breath at the memory her words had triggered. _What's said is said_...spoken to a frightened child, in a mocking tone. He had once felt pity for the runners of the Labyrinth, but over the years all his emotions towards the game had grown cold, it became easier not to care. His hatred of the Queen and his sympathy for her victims had mingled together into an aloof contempt for anything associated with the endless charade. Jay remembered feeling that same contempt for Sarah at the beginning.

But she had won his respect and regard again and again. And the previous night...Mother of Light, she had been brilliant. He hadn't had the time to think how difficult it would be for her, to be alone after leaving the Underground, to be so long without him. As Jareth, he'd never thought that regaining his memories would be so...intense. He had never been other than what he was; he couldn't have known how he would feel, how he would _be_ as a human or how frightening Jay would find Jareth to be.

And somehow Sarah had unraveled his conflicted reasoning. Despite her claims the previous night, she had seen what to do once things had been set into motion. She'd known almost exactly how to handle him when his Fae instincts were out of control, which was no mean feat. She must have had to overcome a powerful desire to get far away from him as soon as even the possibility that he could have harmed her became apparent. How had she done it? How did she always know what to do for him?

She was still doing it, even now. He knew he had stiffened in her arms when she turned his own words back upon him, but since then she had maneuvered herself next to him on the sofa, his forehead was resting on the curve of her shoulder and her fingers were combing soothingly through his hair.

Jay lifted his head and looked into the face of his beloved, and smiled to see the love shining from her hedgerow eyes, "Oh Sarah, I know that we haven't said much about all this yet..." He broke off, searching for the words, "It was just so new this morning...I couldn't get my thoughts in order..."

Sarah smiled back at him softly in reassurance, "Whenever you're ready, babe. We both know all that's happened. And I'm not going anywhere."

He shook his head earnestly, "No, let me get this out. Before last night...before you found me again, I was only half myself. I know now that I had been searching for you too, but I just didn't realize...I just want you to know...I would have said earlier, but I didn't want to scare you off..."

Jay took a deep breath to steady himself, what he was trying to say was not nearly as complicated as his mouth was making it, "I just wanted you to know that Jay Travers loved you before ever knowing about Jareth the Goblin King. Without really knowing why, he was head over heels in love and he desperately wanted to tell you."

Sarah's smile transformed into an all out grin and she chuckled as she spoke, "Oh, babe, I wouldn't have been scared off."

"Well, how was I to know that last night?" Jay raised his voice in mock defensiveness, feeling a grin of his own break across his face. He pulled her closer on the sofa, so close she was half in his lap. His chest felt so full with joy that he had to chuckle softly to release the pressure or he thought he might explode.

Sarah's arms came loosely about his neck, resting on his lightly shaking shoulders. "You know," she responded softly, "I was afraid to do anything to scare _you_ off. I was so paranoid that you'd leave me if I said anything even hinting about the Underground...I guess I just ended up not saying much at all."

Her grin had turned sheepish and he leaned closer to kiss her cheek softly, "It doesn't matter now, love. What's said is said and what's not said...well, fuck it, eh?"

The sound of her laughter was magical. He felt like a teenager again...well, not really. Jay had been a moody teenager and Jareth's childhood had been non-existent. He felt young. He felt light and full all at once as he leaned in again, this time seeking her lips.

* * *

"What is your bleeding problem, Paul?" Ruby hissed as she wrenched her arm from his tense grip. He'd just dragged her into the bathroom and was now pacing the tiny room in front of her. She was pissed at him. "What must your mother think? She saw you pull me in here. Jesus!" 

Step, step, turn. Step, step, turn. He was obviously upset about something, but he didn't have to be such a bastard about it. Her arm freaking _hurt_.

He was still pacing, so she rephrased the question, "What is wrong with you?"

Paul looked up angrily, "Wrong with me? _Wrong with me?_"

"Yes, I would say that something is wrong."

He shook his head and began pacing again, "You should be asking what's wrong with Jay."

Ruby's eyebrows lifted in surprised, "You're talking about just now? With your dad? You guys have always had issues with him. Maybe he was just worried about Sarah meeting him."

"No." Step, step, turn. He hadn't stopped moving. He was visibly tiring, breathing hard and still shaking his head, as if he could knock some answers loose from inside it.

She finally moved away from the closed door and intercepted him, "Paul, stop it."

He stopped, but continued to deny her simple answer to the problem, "No...no, it wasn't just Dad. That was too severe a reaction. And then there was the message and before in the bedroom..." he trailed off, growing softer, as if he was loosing his voice.

"What happened in your bedroom?" Ruby softly inquired, eyeing his look of remembered shock.

"He got...angry at me...I was trying to figure out why he left me that message...I hinted that it had something to do with Sarah..." he looked at her for a moment, probably trying to figure out how much more to tell her.

"Well that wasn't very smart, was it? You know how he gets with his girlfriends. You were the one that told me he got jailed for a night over a comment someone made to Gina when she started working nights at that pub in Exeter. And remember when Franny and Collins had to make out in that terrible play their last year? Jay wouldn't talk to him the whole time it ran, just skulked about in a pissy mood all the time. I think it came to blows at some point. Franny was so pissed at him. It frigging broke them up and then he moped even more. You're the one who knows best, Paul, you don't insinuate anything about Jay's girls and you certainly don't get between them." Ruby frowned at him in exasperation and put her hands on her hips.

Paul nodded, but looked away as he spoke, "Yeah yeah, I remember. I guess I just never thought he would hit _me_."

"He hit you?!"

"Well, it's not like he punched me in the face or anything. He, um, grabbed me by the neck...and held me against the bunk bed...He said that he was fine, and Sarah was fine, but I wouldn't be fine if I didn't shut up about the message...He's never threatened me like that before. It...it was really frightening." Paul's voice was soft and uncertain. Ruby knew that he was undoubtedly regretting his words as he spoke them.

"Well, that's...surprising." She paused for a moment, considering, "What was in that message?"

"All this stuff about how something was happening to him...that maybe Sarah was doing it...but that it was definitely not her fault. It was kind of garbled. I couldn't make any sense of it." Paul's agitation grew as he went on.

Ruby felt a ghost of a smile appear on her face as she immediately remembered how the couple had been acting earlier in the day. "You know, Paul. This could be something completely different from whatever it is you're imagining."

He looked at her skeptically, "What do you mean?"

"Well, certain feelings...or strange reactions...can come over someone...in the throes of...passion...maybe?" She lifted the statement into a question, her expression now a full blown smirk. "Those two were _very_ friendly with each other this morning. Something may have sparked, or possibly exploded between them in Glastonbury. They fell through the doorway and giggled their heads off on the way to the bedroom."

Paul looked at her in something akin to horror before annoyance settled on his features, "Quit screwing around, Ruby. This isn't a laughing matter."

She rolled her eyes at him, "And it isn't a matter of life and death either. If Jay doesn't want to tell you, he's not going to tell you, Paul. Suck it up and move on."

Paul looked at her as if she'd just slapped him in the face, but she stood her ground. She knew she was right. There wasn't anything that Paul could do now, and he knew it too.

He released a heavy sigh and sank down onto the closed toilet seat as she moved to run her fingers through his hair. He leaned into her touch and rested his forehead against her stomach. Ruby understood that letting this go was hard for him. Even though Paul was younger, he'd always felt the need to watch over Jay.

Paul was always the more grounded brother, despite being the artist in the family. Jay put all of himself into whatever he did, living more, loving more, and inevitably hurting more than Paul, or generally most people. After a first look and a few words, people couldn't help but notice, if not fall in love with, Jay. He'd always had that easy, devil may care attitude that was so attractive, especially to women. But having been around Paul for so long, it was easy to see everything that made him just as wonderful, because Paul stuck by his family and friends, and watched over them, no matter what. That was just what he did and Ruby loved him for it.

"Something happened to them last night." Paul's voice broke through her thoughts about him, slightly muffled, as his face was still pressed against her navel.

She smiled wryly again, "I'm certain _something_ did happen."

"No, I mean something bigger than just sex, Ruby." His tone was frustrated once more and he lifted his head to look at her, gripping her forearms in his conviction. She turned her expression sympathetically, her hand still in his hair. "How could things have changed so drastically in three months? Why can't he tell me?"

"Paul, love develops at different times and in different ways for everyone. It changes people whether they like it or not, whether _you_ like it or not. You can't expect him to tell you everything, all at once." She tried to be gentle now that he'd come down from his anger.

"But I can expect him to tell me _something_, can't I?"

His voice and expression were filled with hurt and loss. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his brow, whispering, "Maybe not, luv. Give it some time, you'll work it out."

Her hands fell to capture his and she pulled him up and towards the door, knowing that soon they'd be missed. But he turned her back around, wrapping his arms around her and lowering his lips to hers in a sweet, lingering kiss.

Ruby smiled wistfully after they parted and let herself be held by him for another moment or two. He sighed, finally letting go of his worry for Jay, and whispered a "thank you" into her hair.

She missed this, missed _him_ so much while he was gone. Stupid London and its stupid art scene, stupid Bristol and their stupid full scholarship, she grumbled internally. She loved Paul so much, but because of the distance, because of the time, they'd never been more than casual. But seeing Sarah and Jay find each other over the past few months...Jay's obvious infatuation with her mysteriously traumatized roommate, and their newly blossoming love from that morning...Ruby wanted nothing more than to drop everything and marry the man in front of her.

Instead she sighed and wrapped her arms tighter around him. She still had...Ruby's thoughts stopped as she realized...a whole week before she had to present her dissertation to the department. A smile slowly crept across her face as she pulled slightly out of his embrace.

Paul looked curiously at her, knowing this particular expression as the Ruby-with-a-mad idea-smile. "What are you thinking, luv?" He asked almost tentatively and Ruby laughed.

"Do you happen to be doing anything of importance within, oh, the next week or so?" She kept her voice light, but knew he wasn't fooled. Maybe the idea was mad, but she was pretty sure he'd go along.

"Nothing I can't change to the week after," he answered slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you'd fancy a trip to Gretna Green or some such place in the general Scotland area, a nice town, nice inn, nice...chapel..."

She broke off as a smile similar to her own spread across Paul's face. After another few moments of kissing and embracing and all around happiness Ruby spoke, plans running rapidly through her head, "Well that's that. We can leave tomorrow morning. You can pretend you're going back to London and I'll write something vague to Sarah in a note after she leaves for campus."

Paul only nodded, seemingly unable to speak since she broached the subject. She laughed again, feeling lighter than she had in a long time, "I hope you recover soon, darling, or people are going to wonder what we've been doing in here."

* * *

Sarah rested her forehead against Jay's. All day relief had been flowing over her periodically in waves. A ball of tension, of fear, had been quivering within her for six months. First, that she would never find him, and then later, that he would never remember. But now it was done, the fear was gone and Sarah had never felt so relieved. 

And she felt the beginning of a happiness, the like of which she had never known before. It seemed as though she had lived and waited ages to come to this day, to live through the previous night and feel the joy she was feeling at that very moment.

Sarah's broad smile returned as she leaned back to look Jay in the eyes again. All her hesitant thoughts and tentative plans flooded through her mind, now that the ball of fear no longer fed her doubt. Now that Jareth was here with her and everything would be fine, she let herself think about the future.

She wanted many things for herself and for them both. She wanted to see her family. She wanted her father to approve of her choice. She wanted Toby to see that she really was all right, that she wasn't just putting up a good front over the phone. She wanted...a life with Jay and she wanted her family to be a part of that life.

"We have so much to do before the summer, babe." And she laughed out loud as his expression changed from gentle curiosity to bewildered confusion.

Jay looked at Sarah, wearing the same dress that she had in that day in the forest, smiling at him without a trace of the sadness she had felt then. He smirked at her mysteriousness, "What are you planning, love?"

"Sarah? Planning? I don't know if this is such a good idea." Ruby teased jovially as she entered, pulling a somewhat dazed looking Paul by the hand. Jareth held back a heavy sigh as scrambled off him and the both stood up from the sofa. Of course they would get no privacy for more than two minutes. If he'd wanted to have any kind of lengthy conversation with Sarah, he never should have brought her home.

"What's that supposed to mean, D?" Sarah frowned at her roommate.

"Well," the grinning Ruby looked at her, clearly warming to her subject, "You're more of a blowing-in-the-wind, seat-of-pants-flying type of girl, don't you think? You...live life like you're trying to solve a maze. Always looking for what's around the next corner or the next, right?" Through her speech Ruby's expression had become more and more thoughtful and after a moment, her face broke into a grin once more and she laughed, "Well, that was my deep thought for the day. Let's go eat. All this psychic-analit-o-cizing has made me hungry!"

She finished with a wink at the room in general and pulled the still distracted Paul back into the kitchen. Jay wondered idly what that girl had done to his brother before smirking as Sarah rolled her eyes. He spoke evenly, not letting his laughter break through, "Trying to solve a maze, beautiful? Looking around the next corner?"

Sarah snorted and seized his hand in hers, "Maze solved!" She brandished their intertwined hands, "Goblin King defeated and captured! Now...it's time for making plans."

He leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her brow and then on her lips, "I think it's time for supper."

Just as he spoke, his mother called from the kitchen, "Dearest! Food's on! We've set out everything in the back garden!"

Sarah smiled but quickly produced a sad little pout, "Aww, can't I bask in the glow of my victory a little more?"

"You did that all morning. Aren't you tired of basking?"

"Silly, Goblin King," she chuckled, "Basking is very relaxing. It does not tire one out."

"Well then, I'll let you bask all night long."

An unexpected voice emerged from the other room, "Will you children quit making sick innuendo? Your mother sent me to get you. Don't let her catch you discussing the dirty deed." Ruby's head poked around the doorframe, "What the hell is a Goblin King anyway? You didn't _name_ anything of his, did you, doll? I am simply scandalized!"

Jay shook his head, laughing; she had to be in one of _these_ moods today. "Never you mind, darling. We're coming."

Sarah buried her face in his shoulder to suppress a fit of giggles, and then turned to stick out her tongue out at her roommate, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Ruby. It's just a nickname and, no, I will not tell you its origin."

"Can I call him that too, then?"

"Of course not," she replied as Jay rolled his eyes at them.

"Can I tell Paul? Can _he_ call him that?"

He heard Sarah snort as he stopped mid-stride and exclaimed, "Good God, no!"

Ruby trilled a laugh at them and looked over her shoulder as she continued out to the garden, "You, my dears, are too much."

Jay and Sarah stopped in the doorway to the back, chuckling together as Ruby walked over to Paul, speaking in her loudest stage whisper, "Paul, Paul! You'll never guess what Sarah calls your brother..."

Sarah produced a very put upon sigh, saying "We're going to have to tone that girl down a bit before Toby gets here."

Jay's eyebrows rose, "Toby? Here? And when will that be, love?"

"The summer. That's why we have so much to do."

She gave him an excited grin and he felt his own expression mirror hers immediately. They certainly did have a lot to do, but now they had time. Two months would hopefully be enough to get things settled for Toby. And then they had all the time after that for everything else.

This was their time, the very start of what Jareth had come Above for, of what Sarah had come back for, journeyed through his world and her own. Their love could thrive here and it would. They would build a life together, what the realization of their combined dreams would create.

"It all starts tomorrow, babe." She murmured in his ear, effortlessly following his thoughts.

And smiling, he pulled her into the garden, her fingers tightly intertwined with his.

* * *

A/N: And wheeeeee! Here I come crashing back into your life, dear readers. I am so so sorry about the horrific wait I made you all go through for the last chapter of this epilogue. I hope that it lives up to your wishes and expectations. 

Know that, as you finish this story, there's a sequel in my head, as well as a little one shot exploring events that occur after Toby and Jay/Jareth meet. So there's more coming from me at some point.

It was the dreaded Writer's Block and Real Life combo that prevented me from finishing this chap with any decent amount of expediency. Sadly, Real Life will once more be intruding big time on my writing, as I'll be studying abroad in Japan in two weeks for a whole semester. I will have free time and internet there, but I don't know how much of either of those things I'll be spending on writing.

Thanks so very much for spending your time reading my poor neglected epilogue. I hope that you enjoyed it and will review with your thoughts.

Atsui


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